Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff from How Stuff Works. Hey, brain Stuff,
Speaker 1: I'm Lauren Vogelbaum, and you don't have to be sitting
Speaker 1: on a mountain of cash when you die. To leave
Speaker 1: a little something for your loved ones and the rest
Speaker 1: of humanity, researchers are looking for a few are lots
Speaker 1: of good men and women to donate their brains to science.
Speaker 1: These gifts are key to research that may change the
Speaker 1: way a wide range of ailments are treated, including Alzheimer's
Speaker 1: disease and dementia. Of course, the idea of having your
Speaker 1: organs picked over by strangers when the sun sets on
Speaker 1: your time here among the living is enough to give
Speaker 1: some of us the willies. Here are a few things
Speaker 1: you should know about donating your brain to science. Obviously,
Speaker 1: the decision to donate anybody part is something that you
Speaker 1: have to reach before you die, but it's also important
Speaker 1: that people know about your choice before you leave this
Speaker 1: world for whatever might come next. A brain donor's body
Speaker 1: has to be refrigerated or the brain put on ice
Speaker 1: within six hours of death, according to researchers at Harvard
Speaker 1: Universe d. But yes, you can still have an open
Speaker 1: casket funeral if you decide to give the gift of
Speaker 1: your brain after death, a person's face and hair are
Speaker 1: not disturbed by the brain removal process, so your loved
Speaker 1: ones are still able to have that one last look
Speaker 1: if that's your preferred funerary practice. However, be aware that
Speaker 1: the procedure is not tax deductible. Sure, agreeing to give
Speaker 1: up your brain or any other organ to science is
Speaker 1: one of the more charitable things a person can do,
Speaker 1: but that doesn't mean it's treated as a charitable donation
Speaker 1: for tax purposes. But you don't need to have a
Speaker 1: brain ailment to participate in a donation program. Researchers want
Speaker 1: access to healthy brains so they can compare tissue to
Speaker 1: those with various diseases. By the way, the average adult
Speaker 1: human brain weighs about three pounds that's one point three
Speaker 1: six ms, or about two percent of a person's total
Speaker 1: body weight. If you decide to go ahead with brain donation,
Speaker 1: there are certain steps required to seal the deal. Designating
Speaker 1: yourself as an organ donor on your driver's license alone
Speaker 1: does not give researchers the right to take your brain,
Speaker 1: but can sent for Brain donation can be given by
Speaker 1: next of kin immediately following death. So if it's something
Speaker 1: you want to do, you should talk with your family
Speaker 1: and friends about it, share your wishes, and register beforehand
Speaker 1: to donate your brain. If you are interested, run a
Speaker 1: search for the Brain Donor Project. It's a great starting
Speaker 1: place for information and resources. Today's episode was written by
Speaker 1: Chris Opfer and produced by Tyler Clang. For more on
Speaker 1: this and lots of other Brinkley topics, visit our home planet,
Speaker 1: how Stuff Works dot com.