The Dutch Brain Bank Celebrates Receiving 5,000th Brain for Groundbreaking Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and More

Medicalfacts Editorial / Janine Budding September 20, 2023 – 10:48 PM

The Dutch Brain Bank, founded in 1985 by renowned neurobiologist and writer Dick Swaab, is celebrating an important milestone this year: they have received the 5000th brain for brain research. This milestone highlights the brain bank’s ongoing commitment to collecting tissue for scientific research into a wide range of psychiatric and neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. On September 21, World Alzheimer’s Day, we would like to reflect on this special milestone.

With this overwhelming collection, the Brain Bank makes an important contribution to the understanding of our brain. The collected brain tissue is not only used for brain research at the Netherlands Brain Institute itself, but has also been made available to research groups all over the world. Research into the tissue has led to groundbreaking discoveries and innovations both in the Netherlands and internationally.

An important discovery in which the Brain Bank has played a role is the scientific proof that the brain of transsexuals matches the desired gender. These results show that there is a biological basis, which has generated a lot of support within the transsexual community. In addition, the tissue from the Brain Bank has shown that there are many forms of dementia, not just Alzheimer’s disease, and that it has often been dormant in the brain for some time.

These insights provide important tools for further research.

Evgenia Salta (group leader at the Netherlands Brain Institute): ‘We have discovered something very special with the brain tissue from the Netherlands Brain Bank: Brains have been found that show indications of Alzheimer’s disease in the tissue, without these people showing symptoms of the disease while alive. . These people therefore appear to be resistant to Alzheimer’s. My research now concerns the small building blocks and switches in our brain cells that determine whether someone is vulnerable to the disease. Can we find a way for the brain to repair itself?’

Dick Swaab continues: ‘This 5000th autopsy is a testament to the immense progress we have made in our understanding of brain diseases. Now it’s time to do even more with the available tissue. By forming groups with the same brain disorders and comparing them, we can see in increasing detail where things go wrong in the brain, especially in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Studying the human brain is key to understanding what exactly goes wrong in this devastating disease.”

The Dutch Brain Bank remains committed to collecting and making brain tissue available to researchers worldwide. Thanks to the dedication and continued efforts of the team and the generous donations from deceased persons and their families, the Brain Bank can continue to play a crucial role in advancing brain research and finding effective treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders.

For more information about brain research, the Dutch Brain Bank and the Netherlands Brain Institute, please visit:

Source: Friends of the Netherlands Brain Institute Foundation (in short: Brain Friends)

Editorial Medicalfacts / Janine Budding

I have specialized in interactive news for healthcare providers, so that healthcare providers are aware of news that may be relevant to them every day. Both lay news and news specifically for healthcare providers and prescribers. Social Media, Women’s Health, Patient advocacy, patient empowerment, personalized medicine & Healthcare 2.0 and the social domain are key points for me to pay extra attention to.

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2023-09-20 21:21:38
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