Brains for dementia research

Clinico-pathological studies:

There is still much to be done before we understand what underlying patterns of cellular and chemical changes are responsible for particular symptoms, such as aggression.  This is only possible when researchers have both the clinical information and brain tissue together. This knowledge precedes identification of new drug targets. 
 

These may use brain tissue from hundreds to a few thousand individuals, looking for genes associated with dementia. Studies search for genes associated with particular clinical subtypes of dementia, and polymorphisms of genes (different variants of genes that occur at a given place in the genetic code across the population). The effects that can be looked at include disease onset, progression and particular symptoms.
Identifying genes that influence dementia is one first step along the road to treatment.

Biomarkers:

For treatment to be most effective it needs to be given at an earlier stage in the disease process, which means the diagnosis needs to become much more accurate during life. At present a firm diagnosis of dementia and subtype is only possible at post mortem.  So the search for a test or combination of tests that would give greater accuracy in diagnosis is an important use of tissue. 

When someone has taken a new treatment for dementia it is important to see what effect it had on the brain tissue. For example, did it change any of the signs of dementia in the brain, or affect particular subtypes of dementia or brain regions?

All this helps decide if the drug shows promise and warrants further study, perhaps at a different disease stage, dementia subtype or dose regime. Without the brain, a lot of information is lost.

I hope this gives an idea of the ways research is developing and the key role that human brain tissue from people who have had assessment interviews during life has within that.