Comittee: Javier Mena (coordinator), Josep Maria Haro and Ángel Pazos
CIBERSAM research groups and their contributors have the chance to access post-mortem brain samples from subjects with mental diseases and controls. These samples are deposited in different repositories connected with CIBERSAM groups and/or institutions in the consortium.
"Brain banks" or "neurological tissue banks" are established in the form of a Biobank or Collections outside the scope of a Biobank, in accordance with legislation. A brain bank constitutes a vital tool in the study of psychiatric diseases, allowing the availability of samples for any research groups which can accredit a standard in scientific quality and in work procedures.
A Biobank is mainly a service for supporting research, but also has an cohesion (cooperation) function between groups working in the field of mental illnesses, through being a point of encounter for researchers of different disciplines. The greatest return from a tissue biobank is accomplished as a part of a cooperation network.
Samples are obtained from the schemes for recruiting brain donors got underway by those responsible for the Bank or collection and addressing both psychiatric patients and their families.
The process of recruiting, obtaining, safeguarding and distributing brain samples is carried out in accordance with the principles and rules laid down by Law 14/2007 on Biomedical Research, Royal Decree 1716/2011 on authorisation and operation of Biobanks and Act 15/1999 on Protection of Data and Regulations developing this. The collections and Biobanks are registered in the proper Register of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III.
Neurological Tissue Bank | Fundación Sant Joan de Dèu, Barcelona
Valdecilla Biobank | Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria IDIVAL, Santander
Collection of Brain Samples | Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia
