The art of matching brain tissue from patients and controls for postmortem research

Handbook of Clinical Neurology
Ai-Min Bao, Dick Swaab

Abstract

The quality of postmortem research depends strongly on a thorough clinical investigation and documentation of the patient's disorder and therapies. In addition, a systematic and professional neuropathologic investigation of both cases and controls is absolutely crucial. In the experience of the Netherlands Brain Bank (NBB), about 20% of clinical neurologic diagnoses, despite being made in first-rate clinics, have to be revised or require an extra diagnosis after a complete and thorough review by the NBB. The neuropathology examination may reveal for instance that the "controls" already have preclinical neurodegenerative alterations. In postmortem studies the patient and control groups must be matched for as many of the known confounding factors as possible. This is necessary to make the groups as similar as possible, except for the topic being investigated. Confounding factors are present before, during, and after death. They are respectively: (1) genetic background, systemic diseases, duration and gravity of illness, medicines and addictive compounds used, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, circadian and seasonal fluctuations, lateralization; (2) agonal state, stress of dying; and (3) postmortem delay, freezing pro...Continue Reading

Citations

Jan 9, 2019·Molecular Psychiatry·Paul J LucassenDick F Swaab
Apr 26, 2019·Anatomical Sciences Education·Qi ZhangAi-Hua Pan
Jan 10, 2020·Nature Protocols·Miguel Flor-GarcíaMaría Llorens-Martín
Jul 28, 2020·Journal of Neuroscience Research·Emily WilsonKaren Newell-Litwa
Mar 3, 2020·Frontiers in Physiology·Sandra Carrera-JuliáEraci Drehmer
Apr 13, 2021·Frontiers in Neuroscience·Jiacheng DaiChao Chen

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