Who will carry out the brain autopsy and when will it happen?
Brain tissue is recovered under the supervision of a neuropathologist. Donation takes place according to a strict protocol following the signing of an autopsy permit by the patient, legal next of kin, or guardian. The pathologist will need to remove the brain within 48 hours of death if at all possible as tissue starts to deteriorate when blood is no longer flowing through it. However, it may be possible to accept tissue that has been removed within 72 hours. Depending on the complexity of sampling, most brain autopsies take about 45 minutes.
