Autism:insidethebrainbankFromHYPERLINK"http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian"TheGuardian,Sunday31March2013Asevereshortageofbrainsishamperingpotentiallygroundbreakingresearchintothecausesandnatureofautism.AlthoughfundingfromthecharityAutisticaisinplacefortheresearch,itisextremelydifficulttogetpeopletodonatetheirbrainsafterdeath.Andwhilemanyarehappytosignuptothenationalorgandonationregistry,theseparateprocessofcommittingtobraindonationhasencounteredresistance.TheUKBrainBankforAutismhasappealedforbrainsforfouryears,butsofaronly22havebeendonated,slowingdownthepaceofresearchatatimewhenthereisgrowinginterestinaconditionaffectingasmanyasonein100people."Itisamatterofregretthatwecan'tdoitfaster,"saysProfessorMargaretEsiri,directoroftheinitiative.Sheisoptimisticthataclearerunderstandingofwhathappenstothebrainsofpeoplewithautismwillleadtoafasterdevelopmentofinterventionsthatcouldimprovethequalityoflifeofthoseaffectedbythecondition."Thisisaverypositivethingtodo,tohelpfuturegenerations.Thosefamilieswhohavedoneithaveappreciatedtheopportunity.Itgavesomemeaningtotheawfulexperienceoflosingsomeonetheyloved,"Esirisays."Wealsoneedasmanypeopleaspossiblewhodon'thaveautismtoconsiderdonatingbecauseweneedcontroltissue.Peopledon'trealisethatanormalbraincanreallybevaluableforresearch."DonationsforresearchpurposesarenotincludedintheNHSorgandonationprogramme,whichexistssolelytoorganisetransplantstokeeppeoplealive,andtheOxford-basedbrainbankhasstruggledtoinformpeopleaboutthescheme.Thisispartlybecauseofculturaltaboosarounddeath,andareluctanceofmedicalstaffandcarerstoapproachthetopic."Itisnotaveryeasyconversationtohavebecauseitinvolveslookingtowardsadeathofachild,forexample,whenalltheeffortsonthepartofthemedicalprofessionarelookingtothefutureofthechild,nottheirdeath,"saysEsiri."Thebrainissomuchtheessenceofwhosomeoneis;theideaofgivingawaythepersonthemselvesisdifficult."WhileappealsfordonationsfrompeoplewithdementiaforanotherresearchprojectattheJohnRadcliffehospitalinOxfordhavebeenproductiv