I think my brain will be of more use in a research laboratory than in a crematorium furnace. Although I haven't signed up for it yet. (The laboratory, not the crematorium)
You can read about the work of the Parkinson's UK brain bank - and how you can put your name on the brain donor register here: http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/brainbank
My husband has signed up to donate his brain, if you ever get a chance to hear a talk by one of the tissue bank staff please do as it is most interesting. My one concern was that when filling in all the many pages of the forms documenting his history of the condition it was not always easy to remember, so for us it would have been helpful to have done this much sooner, after all thrity years of the many changes in his condition a history to work on. best wishes vivian
My mum signed up to this - and when she died last year, the Tissue Retrieval Team came to our local hospital to collect her brain as she wanted. As promised, it was handled very sensitively.
I am looking forward to hearing the results of their investigations in due course - some answers to many questions is what I'm hoping, and definitive diagnoses of her various problems - Parkinson's followed by Lewy Body Dementia.
I have had the opportunity to talk with some of the Brain Bank team, and they are very approachable and informative.