BRAIN BANK RESEARCH

I’m grateful for Ruth Nichol’s column ( Health, April 1) on the work of the human brain bank at Auckland’s Centre for Brain Research. My late wife, Ann, had Parkinson’s and had asked that her brain be donated to the bank. Our two adult children and I were glad to respect her wishes.

Like Ann, we knew her brain would assist research in Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions. But until Nichol’s column, we didn’t realise that through its relationship with the associated biobank that grows live cells from donated tissue, the brain bank has found evidence of how Parkinson’s

spreads through the brain, and is now looking at ways of slowing or stopping the spread.

Ann would be delighted to think her gift might contribute to such a project, as are we. George Andrews (Ponsonby, Auckland)