Search the NeuroBioBank for Tissue Samples

The NIH NeuroBioBank contains an inventory of specimens that are available through its brain and tissue repository network, as well as some that are offered by external repositories. To select a specimen that is part of the NeuroBioBank network, simply mark the checkbox in the "Add/Remove" column. External specimens are marked with a External Bank Request and can only be obtained by going through the request process of the external repository. Clicking the will prompt you to visit the specimen request page of the associated external repository. When you have selected all desired NIH NeuroBioBank network specimens, click on the "Create Request" button and your checked selections will be automatically added to your request.

Disclaimer
Sample Accuracy and RNA Integrity Number (RIN)

Information Regarding Diagnostic Categorization

Subjects contained within the NBB inventory have undergone extensive neuropathological evaluation and have been characterized using all available donor records (e.g. medical records, autopsy reports, family interviews). In general, diagnoses contained within the NBB inventory are classified based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) coding schema; however, for conditions that are inadequately represented by this categorization system, the NBB has generated codes and labels that best represent the condition(s) of the subject. The user should be aware that it is not uncommon for a subject to be diagnosed in life with one disorder, only to have the neuropathological evaluation reveal the presence of a different or additional condition(s). The user should consider this when searching / selecting specimens for inclusion in a study.

The following definitions are used to distinguish the types of diagnostic characterization of donors:

Clinical Brain Diagnosis

Psychiatric and neurologic diagnoses made based on review of clinical data, including medical records and/or interview or questionnaires administered to family members or other knowledgeable informants.

Refer to Basis of Clinical Brain Diagnosis for detailed information on clinical brain diagnostic categorization and formulation.

No Clinical Brain Diagnosis Found: Donors were evaluated for clinical brain diagnoses using all available sources of information, and the findings did not meet clinical brain diagnostic criteria. Minor clinical findings not meeting diagnostic criteria may be present in these individuals.

Insufficient Information for Clinical Brain Diagnosis: A diagnostic determination could not be achieved due to insufficient clinical information.

NB: The sources of information utilized to formulate Clinical Brain Diagnoses were updated in October 2021 and retroactively applied. Clinical Brain Diagnoses are formulated based on information about clinical symptoms. Neuropathology examination results, however, are not considered in the formulation of a Clinical Brain Diagnosis. For most donors, the Clinical Brain Diagnosis and Neuropathology Diagnosis are consistent with one another. However, results of the two diagnostic procedures may differ. Examples are provided below for clarification.

Example Scenario:	Resulting Diagnoses:
Clinical data support a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. This clinical diagnosis is not confirmed by neuropathological examination, which provides evidence for a diagnosis of Frontotemporal Dementia.	Clinical Brain Diagnosis: Alzheimer’s disease Neuropathology Diagnosis: Frontotemporal Dementia
Clinical data support a diagnosis of Schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. Neuropathological examination is diagnostic of Alzheimer’s disease changes.	Clinical Brain Diagnosis: Schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease Neuropathology Diagnosis: Alzheimer’s disease
Clinical data support a diagnosis of Schizophrenia. Clinical records do not support a dementia diagnosis, but neuropathological examination is diagnostic of Alzheimer’s disease changes.	Clinical Brain Diagnosis: Schizophrenia Neuropathology Diagnosis: Alzheimer’s disease

Neuropathology Diagnosis

Genetic Diagnosis

Non-Brain Diagnosis

Information Regarding Basis of Clinical Brain Diagnosis

Basis of Clinical Brain Diagnosis

As the procedures used to determine clinical brain diagnoses can vary across NBB sites, the level of evidence used to assign a clinical brain diagnosis to a subject is captured within the "Basis of clinical brain diagnosis" field.

Confirmed Diagnosis	Sufficient evidence exists to: Make a clinical diagnosis based on medical history examination, or Make a clinical diagnosis by the consensus of expert clinicians, or Confirm the absence of clinical brain-related diagnoses (i.e., No Clinical Brain Diagnosis Found)
Investigator Impression	Diagnosis is based on the clinical impressions of the clinician reviewing the available information, but that information is insufficient to render a confirmed diagnosis.
Insufficient Data	The available information is insufficient to form a reasonable impression of, or to exclude, any brain-related diagnoses. These cases are used to fill requests for pilot tissue to test out methods using human post-mortem tissue.

Information Regarding De-Identified Age in Subjects Aged 89 and Older

Information Regarding the Evaluation of Large Tissue Requests

In evaluating requests for large amounts of tissue and/or many brain regions, we have adopted a key principle of stewardship and three guidelines of success, supervision and significance to consider in order to ensure that distribution of tissues are aligned with the wishes and intents of our donors and with all missions of the NeuroBioBank and each NeuroBioBank BTR site.

1. Stewardship

2. Success

3. Supervision

4. Scientific Significance

Large/extensive tissue requests are subject to additional review by the NeuroBioBank's Large, Precious, and Rare Tissue Request Committee (LPRTRC). A tissue request might be eligible for such a review, if it requests one or more of the following:

More than 20 subjects
Disorders with fewer than 200 subjects available in the NeuroBioBank inventory
Rare disorders with low prevalence
More than 3 brain regions (particularly small and/or high-demand regions, e.g., Substantia nigra, hippocampus) or tissue/biofluid types
Biospecimen volumes or weights that exceed the NeuroBioBank's suggested standards

Cart