Information for donors
Donation Programme
The BTN-INCYL Neurological Tissue Donation Program is permanent and open to anyone interested in contributing to research on neurological, psychiatric, or rare diseases, whether or not they suffer from such a condition (i.e., individuals who are neurologically healthy).
Participation in this program does not currently involve periodic evaluations of donors (neuropsychological, neurological, etc.). Most active donors of the BTN-INCYL reside in the Autonomous Community of Castile and León, although individuals living in other Autonomous Communities are also registered as donors of the BTN-INCYL, including those without their own brain bank, such as the Autonomous Community of Extremadura.
Our biobank works closely with several associations of patients and relatives of diseases in Castile and León, such as Alzheimer’s disease associations (including AFA-Salamanca, AFA-León, and AFA-Soria), as well as associations related to Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and ataxias, in order to promote this donation program.
Who can be a donor
Any person of any age (including minors with parental consent), from healthy individuals to those who may or may not suffer from a neurological disease.
How to be a donor
The decision can be made during the donor’s lifetime by the donor themselves, by signing a document known as the Informed Consent (see the Documentation section below). It can also be signed at the time of death by a representative of the donor.
Personal data arising from the Informed Consent are processed in accordance with Organic Law 3/2018, of December 5, on Personal Data Protection and Guarantee of Digital Rights (LOPD-GDD). Likewise, this Informed Consent may be withdrawn at any time without the need to provide justification, which will entail the permanent deletion of your personal data from our records.
Documentation
If you decide to join our donor registry, please carefully read the General Information document and then complete and sign the appropriate Informed Consent form according to your personal situation, choosing from the three available options depending on the donor’s condition (capable, incapable, or postmortem patient).
You should also complete the “Other relevant information” section, including the contact details of a person whom we recommend should be aware of your wish to donate nervous tissue.
Finally, please send the two aforementioned documents (Informed Consent and Other Relevant Information) by post to C/ Pintor Fernando Gallego, 1, 37007 Salamanca, or by email to btn-incyl@usal.es. We will then return to you the original copy of the Informed Consent duly signed by us.
Donation relevance
The BTN-INCYL provides a service to society as a whole by adding value to human brain tissue samples, which are essential for research into the true pandemic of the 21st century: neurological and psychiatric diseases.
The brain is the basis of who we are, and diseases affecting this organ are devastating and overwhelming, not only for those who suffer from them but also, unfortunately, because they represent an immense economic and social burden, given the high level of dependency of patients over many years, which constitutes the number one healthcare challenge. In fact, this socioeconomic burden already surpasses that of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes combined.
Our biobank also helps raise awareness and highlight the altruistic act of immense generosity that brain donation represents. Donors and their families should feel proud of their invaluable contribution to the study of the brain.
Researchers’ access to this type of biological samples is essential for the advancement of various biomedical disciplines, such as neuroscience in this case, particularly in relation to diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for different pathologies, as well as potential predictive data on treatment response, moving toward what is known as personalized medicine.
The study of the brain will lead to profound transformations in society, as it will help us understand ourselves better and alleviate mental, neurological, and neurodegenerative disorders, and ultimately cure them—something that is currently not possible. No one doubts the social success achieved by the welfare society, and the fact that the development of other medical disciplines has led to an increase in life expectancy. However, paradoxically, this increase in life expectancy has also led to a higher prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases. If we do not advance in their study in order to treat them, this social success remains incomplete.
Collaborations
The BTN-INCYL collaborates in the field of brain tissue donation and other samples of neurological, psychiatric, and rare disease interest with the following institutions:
- Salamanca University Hospital Complex (CAUSA).
- León University Hospital Complex
- Burgos Hospital Complex
- Río Hortega University Hospital of Valladolid.
- Soria Hospital Complex
- Tissue Bank of the CIEN Foundation – Madrid.
Contact
We are available for any questions or additional information you may need, either directly by phone at 923 294 730 or by arranging an appointment at the INCYL Brain Tissue Bank. A 24-hour contact number is also available: 669 605 723.