Egyptians would use embalming tools to remove the brain during the mummification process. This was commonly known as transnasal excerebration surgery. A long object was used to liquefy and remove the brain before the embalming process. They would perform this by puncturing a hole through the ethmoid bone near the nose and insert the stick inside. Parts of the brain would come out from this technique and then other parts were liquefied. There was a mixture of CSF and liquified brain left over after most parts were pulled out. In order to get this mixture out the person would be placed onto their abdomen to allow it to drain.

-Early Ancient Egypt recognized the brain's existence but they didn't know too much about its function. It took centuries before scholars began to realize the brains role in behavior and cognition.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excerebration

https://doi.org/10.3171/2011.12.jns11417

This was a huge transition in the study of neuroscience because allowed the field to go from just speculation to direct observations of brains and how we can study them. Vesalius stood in front of a very large crowd and dissected a corpse to prove his validity to others. Although he did not mainly focus on the human brain through anatomy, the importance of him dissecting the corpses and providing others with accurate anatomical drawings took the study of the brain to the next level.

- Vesalius provided humans with the first detailed anatomical drawings of the brain, even though he did not connect specific brain structures to functions. This would happen later in the 19th century, when Paul Broca began to link anatomy to behavior through postmortem studies.

Sources:

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/historicalanatomies/vesalius_home.html

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/358129

This was a huge breakthrough in the field of neurology because we had our first big clue that the theory of brain localization was a real thing based on solid anatomical proof. Broca has preserved the brain of one of his patented named "Tan" who lost his ability of speech due to damage on the left side of his frontal lobe. Broca's postmortem studies changed language research by proving that different brain areas were involved in different functions in the body.

-Broca's studies were a big turning point in neuroscience. They demonstrated that specific brain regions could control certain abilities. This was an important discovery for later researchers that includes, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers.

Sources:

https://neuroscientificallychallenged.com/posts/history-of-neuroscience-paul-broca

Albert Einstein's brain was split into 240 blocks and put into histological slides, then photographed multiple times. After the fact, they looked at each part of the brain and found distinct differences between his regions and others who were on the contrary to him.

-Some of these differences included an enlarged (wider) parietal lobe, and the region related to left-hand somatosensory cortex was much larger than the standard control brains in the study. These things could have contributed to his excellence in math and science.

-Although the study of Einstein's brain is debated, it keeps up with the idea that postmortem brain analysis can teach us more about cognitive abilities.

Sources:

https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/aws295

These studies help confirm to researchers the biological basis of Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders. For example, what part of the brain they originated in and how the affected area is affecting their brain function. It is important to study these lesions after death and learn about their degenerative effects on a person's cognition. This can help us understand how to care for someone who has been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease. Autopsies of the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's lead to modern day treatments by focusing on drugs that helped treat the abnormalities caused by Alzheimers, rather than treating the symptoms associated with the disorder.

-Studying these neurodegenerative disorders is so important to research. We want to gain as much knowledge as we can about the brain. This is why places like brain banks that store and study brains are super important for facilitating research.

Sources:

https://cdn.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/blobs/0fd4/10741332/f3d63e8f1fbc/jad-96-jad230389-g002.jpg

https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000006949

Modern brain banks provide brain tissue for different kinds of research on psychiatric disorders, neurodegenerative disorders and brain mapping. Millions and millions of Americans have or had suffered from a psychological disorder. Being able to study and examine brains from these individuals is very important to help us understand and also learn more about the anatomy of the brain behind these disorders. The whole goal of the study is to find out what specific molecular differences can be found between those without psychiatric disorders (anxiety, BPD, depression, etc.) and those without.

-Postmortem brain research has progressed from individual cases to many cases at a time. To keep guiding us, A neuroscientist named Santiago Ramon Y Cajal will provide us with more information about brain research.

Sources:

https://irp.nih.gov/blog/post/2024/10/inside-the-nih-brain-bank

Someone I would choose to be the guide for this exhibit would be Santiago Ramon y Cajal. This is because he was the "Father of Neuroscience", and he had an extensive knowledge of nerve cells and how they were considered separate from the nervous system. Additionally, he worked with staining and preserving the brain and having the ability to look at different sections.

-From ancient Egypt's early anatomical observations to brain banking, the study of the brain after death is very important to the further developments in neuroscience.

Sources:

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-08729-5