No Easy Matter

Brain Bank Singapore collects human brain tissue after a donor's death and preserves it for use in scientific research that aims to help prevent, diagnose, treat and cure conditions that affect the brain, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. The Straits Times has a look at the post-mortem fate of a brain.

- Neo Xiaobin

Madam Lau Kan How had her first stroke when she was 58 years old. The former superintendent of schools was addressing a crowd at a mathematics conference when she realised she "was not speaking" what she wanted to say. She stopped her speech and was sent to the hospital immediately. The single mother of three retired from civil service soon after, although she continued to travel to other countries to run courses as an education consultant.

Madam Lau was diagnosed with moyamoya disease in her early 60s. It is a rare, progressive cerebrovascular disorder caused by blocked arteries at the base of the brain. The cause of the disease is not known.

Moyamoya means "puff of smoke" in Japanese and is used to describe the tangled appearance of tiny vessels that have become larger to compensate for the blockage. Patients tend to get strokes because the tiny vessels cannot compensate enough to supply blood to the brain.

Three strokes and three "mini strokes"—transient ischaemic attacks—later, Madam Lau remains strong and in full control of her mind. She will turn 83 in August.

"I was told that younger patients with moyamoya disease and with better brain scans than me have already passed on," she says wryly.

Thankful for the support of medical professionals, friends and family who looked after her, as well as encouraged her all these years, she was moved to do something for those suffering from the same life-threatening condition.

Madam Lau signed up in May 2024 to donate her brain after her death to Brain Bank Singapore (BBS).

The facility, the first of its kind in South-east Asia, was officially opened on Nov 27, 2019.

Located on the 11th floor of NTU's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (Novena Campus), its main purpose is to collect post-mortem human brain tissue via a donor scheme and preserve it optimally for use in ethics committee-approved scientific research studies.