Sparks Brain Preservation
A Non-profit Organization
Brain preservation by immersion fixation is already a widely practiced procedure in medicine and scientific research. This technique involves carefully removing the brain from the skull and submerging it completely in neutral buffered formalin. While it is currently highly uncertain, this method may be sufficient to retain the structural information underlying long-term memories. See Our Preservation Approach for more details.
Because this procedure is already familiar to many professionals, in many cases brain preservation can be performed locally rather than by our own staff. Pathologists, pathology assistants, autopsy technicians, or funeral home staff often have experience with brain removal, fixation, and shipment for neuropathological examination or research. After the patient’s brain is preserved in this way, it can be shipped to our facility in Salem for long-term storage.
This option is most practical when a qualified professional can begin the procedure soon after legal death, since timing is important for preservation quality. It is also often less expensive than other approaches. We fully support individuals who choose this route and provide as much coordination as we can to help make the brain preservation as high-quality as possible.
Step 1: Paperwork
Complete our standard preservation paperwork, available on our Services page. This makes sure that we can legally accept the preserved brain into our organization’s care.
Step 2: Local Preservation
A local professional needs to be identified who can perform the preservation procedure. This usually entails brain removal and immersion fixation in neutral buffered formalin. This is typically done in a cooperative funeral home, but sometimes might be performed in a specialized autopsy facility, depending on the local professional performing the procedure.
Step 3: Fixation Period
The brain remains in aldehyde solution for around 4 weeks, ideally at a refrigerator temperature of around 4°C, to allow for complete stabilization prior to shipping.
Step 4: Shipment
After fixation, the brain can be shipped to our facility for permanent storage. The brains are usually prepared for shipment by funeral directors or pathology specialists, following standard packaging and shipping rules.
Step 5: Long-Term Preservation
Once we receive the patient’s brain, the patient is transferred into indefinite refrigerated storage at our facility at no additional cost.
The main expense required is the payment to the local professional or funeral director who performs the preservation procedure and manages the shipment. Costs typically range from $950 to $4000, with a median cost of around $1500 to $2000. The highest cost region we are aware of is the Bay Area, although the provider there also offers fast response times, which is expected to correspond to a higher brain preservation quality.
Individuals or their families are responsible for paying the local professional directly, as well as for standard requirements such as transport, the death certificate, and the disposition of the rest of the body. However, these costs would generally be required regardless of whether preservation were performed. Shipment of the preserved brain itself is usually straightforward and costs about $200 to $300 for overnight delivery, which also needs to be covered and is usually a part of the local professional’s fee. In some nearby locations, ground transport by vehicle may be a reasonable alternative.
Sparks Brain Preservation does not charge for long-term preservation of the patient once their preserved brain arrives in our facility.
We have established connections with professionals in several major cities. We also have a map of current third-party partners:
We are working to identify additional professionals in other cities. If you would like to help us identify new professionals in your area, we would be more than happy to provide guidance. Please Contact Us.
What paperwork is required?
You will need to sign the standard preservation forms available on our Services page. Some of the verbiage related to donation of the whole body will not ultimately be relevant, but signing the full consent form is still the best option for flexibility in case something changes in the future. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please Contact Us.
Does brain preservation guarantee that memories will be retained?
No. At present, it is unknown whether brain preservation by immersion fixation or perfusion fixation is sufficient to preserve the information required for long-term memories and personality. What we do know is that these preservation methods can maintain brain structures to at least some degree at a microscopic level, which is thought to be where long-term memories are stored. Our work is based on the best available science, but future technologies will be needed to determine with certainty whether restoration ever becomes possible. See Our Preservation Approach for more details.
Is it required to pay for membership to sign up for this option?
No, paid membership is not required to sign up. Please do not let this be a barrier to you signing up for this option, which does not require any upfront payments.
If you have the money available, we do encourage individuals who sign up for this option to become paying members. It strengthens our organization, subsidizes our research, and supports the long-term sustainability of our work. We believe that all of these things will ultimately improve your own preservation and your future chances of survival.
Are there any exclusion criteria?
No. We will accept and preserve every patient whose brain is shipped to us.
Do I need to be special in any way? Are you looking for certain types of people to preserve their brain?
No. We do not seek out particular types of people. Every person is unique, and we regard all individuals with equal dignity. We believe that everyone, regardless of their life circumstances, deserves the chance to potentially live on into the future through brain preservation if they wish.
How is Sparks Brain Preservation able to perform these cases for free?
It is our privilege to provide this service to individuals who make the courageous and forward-thinking decision to pursue brain preservation. We are immensely grateful to everyone who signs up for any form of brain preservation with our organization, including this one. Please do not think that this is a burden on us in any way.
As a non-profit, our mission is not to make money, but to make high-quality structural preservation available as widely as possible. Given that we already have the infrastructure in place to perform long-term preservation, the marginal cost of providing this service to any given individual is modest. We are currently able to cover these costs ourselves, thanks to philanthropic support, and we expect this support to remain available for many years.
We also recognize that people do not make the decision to pursue brain preservation in a vacuum. They often need to explain the choice to their family and friends, and usually require their help. By making this option available at no cost to our organization, we hope to ease the concerns of family members who might otherwise, understandably, suspect that it could be a financial scam.
What are some of the trade-offs to using this option as compared to preservation by our staff?
Independent professionals usually cannot perform perfusion fixation, which is the method our staff uses and which is widely regarded as providing superior structural preservation when carried out quickly after legal death. Instead, they typically perform brain removal followed by immersion fixation. However, in some circumstances this approach may actually be more effective, if a local provider can begin the procedure sooner than our staff could reach a remote location. In addition, third-party preservation is almost always less expensive in places far away from us, which we recognize is an important factor for many people.
Can this option be used outside the United States?
In many cases, yes. Many countries allow brain removal and preservation for scientific or medical purposes, and preserved brains can often be legally shipped to our facility. However, laws and regulations vary widely between regions. The most important step is to find a local professional who can perform the procedure, and who may be aware of the relevant rules. If you live outside the United States, please contact us in advance so that we can help you explore whether this option is feasible in your area.
Do I need to arrange a local provider in advance?
We very strongly recommend it. While it is often possible to locate a provider quickly after legal death, the best preservation results come when professionals are identified ahead of time and are ready to act. We are glad to assist with this process.
Can any funeral home do this?
No, not every funeral home has the capability, but many can connect you with a pathologist or specialist who routinely performs brain removals for autopsies or research donations. This type of work is commonly done for autopsies or brain banks, so they often will know of someone who can perform it.
What is the best way to communicate with local professionals?
We recommend explaining that the brain is being donated to scientific research, which is entirely accurate, and emphasizing that rapid action is essential for achieving the best preservation quality. Professionals in this field are well aware of the importance of timing. In some cases, offering an additional fee for work performed during nights or weekends, or for expedited processing, may help to allow for timely service. We are happy to speak with them as well.
We also note that local professionals are generally accustomed to standard brain removal and immersion fixation procedures, such as would be performed for a brain bank. If at all possible, please avoid making requests that go beyond their normal procedures. Too many demands or excessive communication may discourage them from helping at all. This has unfortunately happened in the past.
Is shipping a preserved brain legal and safe?
Yes. Shipment of preserved brains follows the same regulations used for medical specimens and research donations. Funeral directors and pathology specialists are familiar with these rules, and shipping companies accept properly packaged and documented specimens without difficulty.
Is brain preservation compatible with many types of religious beliefs?
Yes. Brain preservation is compatible with many religious traditions and can often be carried out alongside customary funeral and burial practices. The procedure preserves the brain for potential scientific research purposes, a practice that many faiths accept or even encourage. Individuals who have specific questions or concerns about this are encouraged to consult with their religious advisors, and we will gladly provide any information needed to support those conversations.
Can families visit your facility?
Yes. Families of our patients who would like to visit our facility are more than welcome to arrange a visit. We are committed to transparency and will do our best to accommodate any reasonable requests. When it does not interfere with preservation quality, families may also view the preserved brain if they wish. We approach this with the same care and respect that we bring to all aspects of our work.
How long will the patient be preserved for?
Our commitment is to provide indefinite storage for every preserved person entrusted to us. This is a central part of our mission as a non-profit, and we have designed our organization to support long-term stability and continuity of care.
What happens to the rest of the body?
Families are free to choose any standard form of disposition, such as burial or cremation, according to their wishes and local regulations. The preservation procedure only involves the brain, and funeral homes can carry out other arrangements as usual.
Will the family be updated after arrival?
Yes, if the family requests this. We can confirm when the patient’s brain has arrived at our facility and when the transfer to long-term preservation has been completed.
What are the next steps?
The first step is to review and sign our standard preservation paperwork on our Services page, which usually takes about 10 minutes. We also encourage you to Contact Us with any questions. We can help you to identify a local professional and make sure everything is in place.