X-Message-Number: 5028 From: Brian Wowk <> Date: Sat, 21 Oct 1995 00:42:08 -0500 Subject: Brain samples Although I expected some questions about the proposal to remove microliter brain samples from CryoCare patients, I must admit I was surprised to see such strong concerns expressed by people who plan to discard their entire spinal cord as part of their cryonics arrangements! One microliter of brain tissue (10^-6 of the total brain mass-- the volume of a pinhead) is NOT neurologically significant. The brain is not like a computer, where a single transistor failure can shut the whole thing down. The brain processes and stores information in a broadly disseminated and redundant fashion. In fact, the most important (and frequently used) pieces of imformation are precisely the ones that will be stored the most redundantly. If a microliter of your brain tissue was obliterated right now (with no subsequent bleed), I doubt there is a neurological test in the world that could detect it. As far as medical ethics goes, microliter brain samples fall in the same category as drawing blood samples or making burr holes in the skull (which can sometimes injure the brain surface) to monitor perfusion. The information obtained will not only benefit future patients, but also directly benefit patients themselves by providing information relevant to long-term care and revival planning. In conclusion, I must say that I find these concerns *in the context of cryonics* rather remarkable. Suppose the only way to save someone's car was to smash it into a wall at 60 MPH so that it became crumpled enough to fit in a small cargo container. You then remove a small paint chip from the smashed wreck, and the owner comes running and says, "You ruined my car!" Brian Wowk President, CryoCare Foundation Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=5028