| This
chapter
describes
the
principal
procedures
that
were
followed
for
research
on
retained
brains
and
brain
samples
that
was
carried
out
under
Coroners
Rules
9
and
12
with
the
knowledge
and
agreement
of
Coroners.
|
|
|
|
| Chapter
32
describes
some
research
programmes
carried
out
under
Rules
9
and
12
in
the
1980s
and
in
subsequent
years.
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|
|
|
Sources
of
information
|
|
|
|
| The
Coroners
Rules
and
the
recollections
of
Dr
D
R
Chambers,
Coroner
for
Inner
North
London
District,
and
contemporaneous
correspondence
of
other
Coroners
who
agreed
to
research
under
these
rules.
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|
|
|
The
purpose
of
Rules
9
and
12
|
|
|
|
| The
stated
purpose
of
both
rules
is
to
ensure
the
preservation
of
'material'
(tissues
and
organs)
that
after
further
examination
may
provide
the
Coroner
with
additional
information
about
the
cause
of
death.
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|
Rule
9
-
'Preservation
of
material'
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|
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| 'A
person
making
a
post-mortem
examination
shall
make
provisions,
so
far
as
possible,
for
the
preservation
of
material
which
in
his
opinion
bears
upon
the
cause
of
death
for
such
period
as
the
coroner
thinks
fit'.
|
|
Rule
12
-
Special
examination
|
|
|
|
| 'Preservation
of
material'
-
'A
person
making
a
special
examination
shall
make
provision,
so
far
as
possible,
for
the
preservation
of
the
material
submitted
to
him
for
examination
for
such
period
as
the
Coroner
thinks
fit'. |
|
|
|
| At
first
sight,
these
two
rules
appear
as
a
duplication.
The
term
'special
examination'
derives
from
Section
20
(4)
of
the
Coroners
Act
1988:
'In
this
section
'special
examination',
in
relation
to
a
body,
means
a
special
examination
by
way
of
analysis,
test
or
otherwise
of
such
parts
or
contents
of
the
body
or
such
other
substances
or
things
as
ought
in
the
opinion
of
the
coroner
to
be
submitted
to
analyses,
test
or
other
examination
with
a
view
to
ascertaining
how
the
deceased
came
by
his
death'.
|
|
|
|
Research
studies
undertaken
as
'special
examination'
|
|
|
|
| Rule
12
has
greater
potential
than
Rule
9
to
permit
new
forms
of
research
on
post
mortem
brains.
In
a
number
of
districts
researchers
have,
with
the
agreement
and
support
of
Coroners,
carried
out
innovative
research
on
brains
obtained
from
post
mortems.
For
example,
studies
planned
to
investigate
whether
there
were
common
neurochemical
findings
in
the
brains
of
those
who
had
died
from
suicide
or
some
other
behavioural
disorder
were
authorised
by
Coroners
and
successfully
carried
out.
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|
|
|
| Investigations
were
permitted
under
Rule
9
when
the
Coroner
was
satisfied
these
could
be
carried
out
on
ordinary
post
mortem
brain
tissue
samples.
|
|
|
|
Origins
of
research
under
Rules
9
and
12
|
|
|
|
| Dr
D
R
Chambers
was
appointed
Coroner
for
St
Pancras
in
1970.
Dr
Chambers'
district
later
became
Inner
North
London
District
and
he
continued
as
Coroner
for
the
district
until
1994.
He
was
also
appointed
Coroner
for
the
City
of
London
from
1994
until
he
retired
in
2002.
Dr
Chambers
was
contacted
in
the
late
1970s
by
a
researcher
working
for
the
Medical
Research
Council's
Institute
at
Mill
Hill.
The
MRC
research
team
wished
to
investigate
whether
levels
of
serotonin
in
the
brains
of
those
who
had
committed
suicide
were
different
from
the
levels
in
normal
and
diseased
brains.
As
all
deaths
by
suicide
must
be
reported
to
the
Coroner,
the
research
could
only
be
carried
out
if
a
Coroner
was
willing
to
authorise
access
under
Rule
9
or
12.
|
|
|
|
| Dr
Chambers
agreed
to
the
retention
of
brains
from
suicide
victims
under
the
'special
examination'
provisions
of
Rule
12,
as
he
considered
that
the
findings
could
have
a
bearing
on
the
cause
of
death.
|
|
|
|
| Over
a
period
of
five
years,
the
brains
of
17
persons
who
were
suspected
of
having
committed
suicide
were
collected
from
public
mortuaries
in
North
London
with
Dr Chambers'
agreement.
These
brains
were
compared
with
those
of
patients
who
had
died
from
other
conditions,
including
Alzheimer-type
dementia.
This
research
was
published
in
1984
and
1986(1
and
2).
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|
Use
of
the
methodology
in
other
places
|
|
|
|
| When
other
research
teams
learned
that
Rules
9
and
12
could,
if
a
Coroner
agreed,
provide
access
to
brains
from
Coroners'
cases,
the
same
methodology
was
adopted
in
other
locations
with
the
agreement
of
a
number
of
Coroners.
The
Coroner
had
first
to
be
satisfied
that
the
research
would
have
a
bearing
on
the
cause
of
death.
|
|
|
|
| There
is,
however,
a
second
condition
that
applies
to
Rules
9
and
12.
A
report
on
the
examination
must
be
made
to
the
Coroner
in
all
such
cases.
|
|
|
|
| There
were
a
number
of
Coroners
who,
like
Dr
Chambers,
were
willing
to
authorise
the
removal
of
brains
or
brain
samples
for
research
purposes
provided
they
were
satisfied
with
the
purpose
of
the
research
and
the
researcher
agreed
to
provide
them
with
reports
on
their
results,
Chapter
32.
|
|
|
|
| As
some
of
these
investigations
also
required
samples
from
'normal'
brains
for
comparison,
some
Coroners
were
content
for
specimens
to
be
obtained
from
the
brains
of
other
deceased
persons
(usually
sudden
deaths)
who
had
no
history
of
neuropsychiatric
disease.
However,
not
all
Coroners
who
authorised
the
removal
of
brains
or
brain
samples
under
Rule
9
or
12
were
willing
to
authorise
the
removal
of
control
samples.
|
|
|
|
| Some
Coroners
who
agreed
to
research
under
Rules
9
and
12
also
allowed
each
index
brain
to
be
matched
for
age
and
gender
with
the
next
suitable
'control'
that
became
available
from
the
same
public
mortuary.
|
|
|
|
Reports
to
the
Coroner
|
|
|
|
| Chapter
42
describes
the
reasons
why
post
mortem
reports
to
Coroners
did
not
record
that
a
brain
sample
or
the
whole
brain
had
been
retained.
However,
Coroners
who
authorised
research
under
Rules
9
and
12
expected
to
receive
a
report
of
the
outcome.
|
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|
Summary
|
|
|
|
| Coroners
Rules
9
and
12
enable
the
Coroner
to
order
the
retention
of
material,
including
brain
samples,
if
an
examination
may
have
a
bearing
on
the
cause
of
death.
|
|
|
|
| Dr
Chambers,
the
Coroner
for
Inner
North
London,
agreed
to
a
proposal
for
research
on
the
brains
of
suicide
victims
under
Rules
9
and
12.
|
|
|
|
| Other
research
teams
followed
suit
and
adopted
the
same
methodology
which
satisfied
other
Coroners
that
the
research
proposed
would
have
a
bearing
on
the
cause
of
death.
|
|
|
|
| Some
Coroners
permitted
collection
of
brain
samples
from
normal
brains
as
'controls'.
|
|
|
|
| The
Coroners
expected
reports
to
be
provided,
as
these
are
required
for
Rules
9
and
12.
|
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|
References
|
|
|
|
| 1 Neurotransmitter
Receptors
and
Monoamine
Metabolites
in
the
Brains
of
Patients
with
Alzheimer's
type
Dementia
and
Depression
and
Suicides.
Neuropharmacology
1984;
Vol.
23
(12B):
pp
1561-1569.
|
|
|
2 Serotonergic
Mechanisms
in
Brains
of
Suicide
Victims:
Brain
Research
1986;
Vol
362:
pp
185-188.
|
|
