Is it wrong to request a brain autopsy after a loved one dies?

[Anonymous]

One of my parents was always anxious, stressed and towards the end a habitual liar.

I wonder if it was neurological and if so a autopsy should have been performed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of my parents was always anxious, stressed and towards the end a habitual liar.

I wonder if it was neurological and if so a autopsy should have been performed?

If you are willing to pay for it and immedicate family doesn't object. What would be "wrong" about it? A religious not get into heaven thing if autopsied the deceased believed?

[Anonymous]

What do you expect to find? A brain tumour or some kind of structural damage related to past traumatic brain injury? Evidence of stroke?

You can’t see most psychiatric issues on autopsy, even if some do have some visibility on functional imaging in life.

I’d probably recommend you find a good therapist to work this out with yourself so you can continue life in a better place, rather than looking for answers in this persons death that may not be here.

[Anonymous]

Are you willing to pay?

[Anonymous]

People request autopsies all the time, OP. Just be ready to pay for it.

My husband ordered an autopsy on his younger brother's brain: he died of a glioblastoma 3 weeks after diagnosis, instead of living for 6 months to a year as his doctors had predicted. My husband wanted to find out why it had devolved so rapidly. He believes a 3 day weekend with missing hospital staff was partly responsible for a care deficiency, but was eventually persuaded not to sue. I don't think he'd have won.

[Anonymous]

You just have to pay for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my parents was always anxious, stressed and towards the end a habitual liar.

I wonder if it was neurological and if so a autopsy should have been performed?

If you are willing to pay for it and immedicate family doesn't object. What would be "wrong" about it? A religious not get into heaven thing if autopsied the deceased believed?

Maybe if there is reason the deceased wouldn’t want you to do such a thing. It’s basically diagnostic testing without the patient’s consent. IMO the primary consideration should be whether the person who died would be ok with this.

[Anonymous]

Don't do it OP, you won't get the answers you're looking for and it's expensive. DH did this after his father passed and it was over $5K (and that was in New Mexico) and all it told us was that his dad was old and had heart disease, which anyone could tell by looking at him.

[Anonymous]

Make sure whatever disorder you may be looking for (Alzheimer’s, ASD, schitzo, dementia, etc.) is able to be recognized in a dead persons brain scan and autopsy, not an alive persons scan.

There may be exact studies that need more data that you could donate to. That might be less costly and answer your underlying questions. Look around at Uni hospitals and health research centers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of my parents was always anxious, stressed and towards the end a habitual liar.

I wonder if it was neurological and if so a autopsy should have been performed?

You could also just do a few therapy sessions with a PhD level psychologist who has done neuropsych tests on patients before. You may be able to triangulate to a rough diagnosis but only if the symptoms were long-standing. Things that just popped up in older age may help too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of my parents was always anxious, stressed and towards the end a habitual liar.

I wonder if it was neurological and if so a autopsy should have been performed?

An autopsy is not like getting genetic testing, and even genetic testing will not give you clear cut answers about these questions.

[Anonymous]

Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my parents was always anxious, stressed and towards the end a habitual liar.

I wonder if it was neurological and if so a autopsy should have been performed?

You could also just do a few therapy sessions with a PhD level psychologist who has done neuropsych tests on patients before. You may be able to triangulate to a rough diagnosis but only if the symptoms were long-standing. Things that just popped up in older age may help too.

They are not permitted to "diagnose" people, dead or alive who are not their patients. It's unethical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of my parents was always anxious, stressed and towards the end a habitual liar.

I wonder if it was neurological and if so a autopsy should have been performed?

What makes you think a neurological issue could be diagnosed by autopsy? A disorder like anxiety, depression, etc is hard enough to diagnose properly on a living patient!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my parents was always anxious, stressed and towards the end a habitual liar.

I wonder if it was neurological and if so a autopsy should have been performed?

You could also just do a few therapy sessions with a PhD level psychologist who has done neuropsych tests on patients before. You may be able to triangulate to a rough diagnosis but only if the symptoms were long-standing. Things that just popped up in older age may help too.

They are not permitted to "diagnose" people, dead or alive who are not their patients. It's unethical.

THis is why you should have the autopsy. My grandmother had dementia/alzheimer's/something. An autopsy was not performed on her brain although I asked for it, as a direct descendant. Now my father has "it" and hasn't known who I am for the last five years. My mother won't tell me his diagnosis (dysfunctional family). So I don't know what I'm in for but it's not good. So please do it for the children and grandchildren.