Is Systematic Neuropathological Examination of the Whole Brain Ethically and Scientifically Licit in Forensic Context?

To date, the whole brain is classically freshly examined during the autopsy, and can be removed in entirety in order to perform a complementary neuropathological examination. Is-it legitimate to bury a corpse without the brain – this symbolic organ – in order to satisfy the physician’s curiosity and/or the scientific necessity? Indeed, brain is an organ with a strong symbolic signification.

In order to estimate the accuracy of such post-mortem neuropathological examination of the whole brain, a brief survey was carried out in the Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine of the R. Poincaré University Hospital (West Paris, France) between 2009 and 2011. On a total of 32 brains (=13.4%) removed on a total of 238 autopsies of adult individuals (in a good state of preservation, without exteriorization of the intracranial structures) and get full analysis by a neuropathologist, the final diagnostic of the cause of death given at the end of the autopsy was never changed.

Manifesto on an Interdisciplinary Reflection about Autopsy and Human Remains

This paper reports the potential of matrix assisted laser desorption ionization quadrupole-time-of-flight (MALDI-Q-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) for the analysis of lipids of dairy interest, i.e., glycerophospholipids (Phosphatidylcholine, Phosphatidylethanolamine, Phosphatidylinositol), sphingolipids (Sphingomyelin) and glycerolipids (Triacylglycerols, Diacylglycerols), respectively. The matrix used was 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB), together with cationizing agents such as sodium and lithium salt that enhanced fragmentation of most lipid classes. 

The alkaline adducts obtained helped to define in a fast way the polar head groups of different glycerophospholipid classes and provided information about the constituent fatty acid residues. Moreover, information about the position (sn-1, and -2) of the fatty acid residue on the glycerol backbone was obtained. Besides, lithium ion adducts appeared to be the most informative for the structural characterization of glycerophospholipids, glycerolipids and sphingolipids. The present approach proved then to be a convenient, fast and informative way for lipid analysis.

Some thoughts concerning Language as a Scientific Topic

Language is about the most important topic when it comes to understanding humans and the history of our species. This is a very active scientific field in many dimensions. I think it is of utmost importance, to keep the scope of thinking wide-open because many important issues are not fully covered yet.

When trying to understand the nature of human thinking, for me it is very important to capture its dual mode of operation. On the one side,we operate within the potential of a powerful neural network, as do most other highly developed species. At the same time, we have available something like digital computer-like machinery in our brain, which makes humans superior to all other animals. To me, this “machinery” seems to be an emulation of a digital system on our biological neural networks. This emulation process is possible and quite good understood.