Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Jul;122(7):937-40.
doi: 10.1007/s00702-014-1353-5. Epub 2015 Jan 13.

BrainNet Europe's Code of Conduct for brain banking

Natasja M Klioueva  1 , Marleen C Rademaker, David T Dexter, Safa Al-Sarraj, Danielle Seilhean, Nathalie Streichenberger, Peer Schmitz, Jeanne E Bell, James W Ironside, Thomas Arzberger, Inge Huitinga
Affiliations

BrainNet Europe's Code of Conduct for brain banking

Natasja M Klioueva et al. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2015 Jul.

Abstract

Research utilizing human tissue and its removal at post-mortem has given rise to many controversies in the media and posed many dilemmas in the fields of law and ethics. The law often lacks clear instructions and unambiguous guidelines. The absence of a harmonized international legislation with regard to post-mortem medical procedures and donation of tissue and organs contributes to the complexity of the issue. Therefore, within the BrainNet Europe (BNE) consortium, a consortium of 19 European brain banks, we drafted an ethical Code of Conduct for brain banking that covers basic legal rules and bioethical principles involved in brain banking. Sources include laws, regulations and guidelines (Declarations, Conventions, Recommendations, Guidelines and Directives) issued by international key organizations, such as the Council of Europe, European Commission, World Medical Association and World Health Organization. The Code of Conduct addresses fundamental topics as the rights of the persons donating their tissue, the obligations of the brain bank with regard to respect and observance of such rights, informed consent, confidentiality, protection of personal data, collections of human biological material and their management, and transparency and accountability within the organization of a brain bank. The Code of Conduct for brain banking is being adopted by the BNE network prior to being enshrined in official legislation for brain banking in Europe and beyond.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Andrews L. Who owns your body? A patient’s perspective on Washington University v. Catalona. J Law Med Ethics. 2006;34:398–407. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-720X.2006.00046.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bell JE, Alafuzoff I, Al-Sarraj S, Arzberger T, Bogdanovic N, Budka H, Dexter DT, Falkai P, Ferrer I, Gelpi E, Gentleman SM, Giaccone G, Huitinga I, Ironside JW, Klioueva N, Kovacs GG, Meyronet D, Palkovits M, Parchi P, Patsouris E, Reynolds R, Riederer P, Roggendorf W, Seilhean D, Schmitt A, Schmitz P, Streichenberger N, Schwalber A, Kretzschmar H. Management of a twenty-first century brain bank: experience in the BrainNet Europe consortium. Acta Neuropathol. 2008;115:497–507. doi: 10.1007/s00401-008-0360-8. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Burtun JL, Underwood JC. Necropsy practice after the “organ retention scandal”: requests, performance, and tissue retention. J Clin Pathol. 2003;56:537–541. doi: 10.1136/jcp.56.7.537. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Deep-Soboslay A, Benes FM, Haroutunian V, Ellis JK, Kleinman JE, Hyde TM. Psychiatric brain banking: three perspectives on current trends and future directions. Biol Psychiatry. 2011;69:104–112. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.05.025. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Greenfield DL. Greenberg v. Miami Children’s Hospital: unjust enrichment and the patenting of human genetic material. Ann Health Law. 2006;15:213–249. - PubMed

Publication types