On Sunday, Sept. 17, the Memory and Aging Project held a memorial service to honor those who donated their brains for autopsy and other participants in the project. Faculty, students, participants and family members joined at the Salem-in-Ladue United Methodist Church for an emotional tribute to deceased loved ones and the research they helped advance.
Alzheimer's disease affects an estimated 4 million people in the United States, with roughly 39,000 diagnosed cases in the St. Louis area. There is no known cure for this disease, and post-mortem examination is the only way to diagnose patients with 100 percent certainty.
Founded in 1979, the St. Louis Memory and Aging Project is now part of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC). The center conducts long-term research on all forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, and follows both patients and healthy volunteers until death. Many arrange to donate their brains to the center for autopsy.
According to John C. Morris, M.D., the importance of this memorial service is twofold. "We would like to underscore our appreciation of this gift and acknowledge the immense value of the gift of the brain for research study," said Morris, the Harvey A. and Dorismae Hacker Friedman Professor of Neurology and co-director of the ADRC.
Terri Hosto, clinical social worker and co-coordinator of the service, said volunteers are initially attracted to the center because of its clinical and research excellence. "The memorial service helps them see how they contribute to that expert knowledge," she said.
As the only reliable form of diagnosis, autopsy results confirm or contradict clinical evaluations. This validation allows researchers to improve their understanding of current treatments and helps guide future efforts toward prevention strategies.
The results also provide family members with definitive information about their loved one's medical history and often help them feel a sense of closure. For Charlotte Shelburne, a speaker at Sunday's service whose husband and mother-in-law both participated in the Memory and Aging Project, autopsy results gave her peace of mind. "It helped to really know for sure what was wrong and that it couldn't have been fixed," she said.
But the main sentiment at the memorial service was gratitude.
During the service, family members expressed their thanks to the ADRC team for their support and medical care, and faculty members and students from the School of Medicine shared their personal experiences with the deceased. Arie Perry, M.D., assistant professor of pathology, also gave two vocal performances.
"These folks are motivated because they want to help others," said Daniel W. McKeel Jr., M.D., associate professor of pathology. "In this day and age, that sort of spirit is truly special. The very minimal thing we can do is say 'thanks.'"