1. Autopsy as a research tool
Biomedical Technology I
Autopsy as a research tool

2. Research Autopsy if one of the oldest research tools
Important tool for Alzheimer’s disease research
2007 study done by Dr Julie Schneider at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago
Study revealed that people with clinical signs of dementia showed multiple disease processes in their brains

3. Research in traumatic brain injury
Growing concern due to the number of veterans returning from war with brain injuries caused by explosives
Does not always show up on an x-ray or MRI
Do cause a wide range of symptoms
Can appear days or weeks after the trauma and can last or even continue to worsen for years

4. Autopsy Reveal
Autopsies show that some of these symptoms are associated with changes in brain anatomy
Research on athletes in contact sports like boxing and football is showing that these players are at risk of degenerative brain diseases due to repeated concussions

5. CTE
Traumatic brain injury is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and for chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE
CTE patients show signs of brain degeneration such as memory loss, confusion, impaired judgement, aggression,
depression and progressive dementia

6. CTE Onset comes at younger age than Alzheimer’s disease
Brain autopsy after death is the only sur way to diagnose CTE
Reduced brain size and weight
Tangles of tau protein in the brain
Recent autopsies of retired professional football players who died from suicide showed clear signs of CTE

7. Controlling CTE
Researchers are working to find biomarkers to diagnose CTE in living patients and are investigation therapeutic drugs that might work after an injury to break down or prevent tau protein deposits

8. Coronary Blockage Research
Dr. Renu Virmani, a pathologist does autopsies on cardiac patients that focus on examining the coronary arteries and implanted stents to better understand the effects of coronary stent treatment
Her findings have resulted in changes to the recommended medications provided after stent insertion.