title: Availability of olfactory bulb: experience from a British Brain Bank.
abstract: The olfactory bulb and tract (OB/OT) are among the earliest structures in the brain to undergo pathological changes in many neurodegenerative conditions. The availability of OB/OT samples from brain specimens in brain banks therefore assumes importance. We collected data from 5 years (2006-2010) regarding the presence or absence of OB/OT material in cases received by the Queen Square Brain Bank (QSBB) for Neurological Disorders, UCL Institute of Neurology, UK, to estimate availability of OB/OT material at the brain bank and also to look for possible associations. Of the 438 cases received, 320 had complete data regarding OB/OT and 29.4% of these had OB/OT in at least one half of the specimen. Unavailability of OB/OT was associated with larger post-mortem delays (p<0.001), suggesting that the delay might render the tissue more friable and hence lead to its loss. Brains from female donors also tended to have a higher availability in our samples.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK.
authors.forename: Suraj
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rajan
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Parsons
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lees
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Silveira-Moriyama
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009830:Olfactory Bulb; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014015:Tissue Banks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006113:United Kingdom