Perceptions and Attitudes toward Brain Donation among the Chinese People |
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| Authors: | Qi Zhang Jing Deng Ya-Nan Li Yue Gou Xiao-Xin Yan Fang Li Ai-Hua Pan |
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| Institution: | 1. Xiangya Brain Bank, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China;2. Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China;3. Xiangya Brain Bank, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
Department of Human Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China;4. Department of Human Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China |
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| Abstract: | Postmortem human brain donation is crucial to both anatomy education and research. The China Human Brain Banking Consortium was established recently to foster brain donation in China. The purpose of this study was to gain information about the public perception of and attitudes toward brain donation and to identify factors that may impact the willingness to participate in brain donation among the Chinese people. A specifically designed questionnaire was delivered to community residents in Changsha (the capital city of Hunan province) with a total of 1,249 completed forms returned and statistically analyzed. The majority of the participants considered that brain donation would help medical research and education, and 32.0% of respondents agreed that the brain donation would help change the traditional Chinese funeral belief in keeping the body intact after death. However, participants aged over 60 years old were less supportive of this concept. Among all participants, 63.7% stated that they were not knowledgeable about brain donation, while 26.4% explicitly expressed a willingness to participate in brain donation. Age, gender, monthly household income, and knowledge about brain donation significantly affected the willingness. Compared with other age groups, a higher proportion of participants aged over 60 years old preferred to be informed by a medical college. To promote brain donation in China, especially among the elderly, better communication of its medical benefits and a reinterpretation of the Confucius view of the human body should be provided. Efforts are also needed to provide appropriate forums and sources of brain donation information to targeted communities and society in general. |
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| Keywords: | brain donation brain banking attitude toward brain donation China Human Brain Banking Consortium neuroanatomy education China |
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