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FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE DECISIONS BY FAMILIES TO DONATE BRAIN TISSUE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH
Whilst mainstream transplant literature provides valuable insights into the influences on families to donate organs and tissues for transplant, the relevance of these findings in relation to organ donation for research remain speculative. The present study aims to expand the research donation literature, by exploring factors that influence a family’s decision to donate brain tissue to neuroscience research. The verbal responses of the senior available next-of-kin (NOK) or their delegate on the day of autopsy of the deceased, to the question of brain donation for research, are analysed.
The donation rate was high (54%) over the five-year period. NOK relationship to the deceased, and post mortem interval were the main factors associated with a positive donation. There was no association between the mental health status of the deceased and the NOK response. Most families who decided to donate did so because the donation allowed an ‘altruistic’ outcome to the death. The question regarding brain donation to the NOK on the day of post-mortem appears non-aversive. Parents were most likely to donate and this may result from a lifetime of decision-making on behalf of the deceased. Also, the longer the interval between death of the potential donor and the question being asked, the greater the likelihood of donation. The importance of prior discussion about organ donation was highlighted in this study and this appeared to help the NOK in the decision-making process.
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