Brain, CSF and Spinal cord

The brain banks used by BDR store brain tissue, CSF, and spinal cord. Brain tissue is collected within 72 hours of death and is processed quickly to prevent degradation. The tissue is divided into sections, with one hemisphere fixed in formalin. The other hemisphere is divided into regions and frozen at -80C, or embedded in parrafin blocks. Long-term storage is carefully monitored to prevent temperature fluctuations or contamination, which could compromise the quality and reliability of research findings. CSF is routinely collected, and some brain-banks store spinal cord tissue.