Donate to our Brain Box Appeal

15.12.11 - We are pleased to announce the nationwide launch of our ‘Brain Box Appeal’ to improve the understanding of mental health conditions such as epilepsy and bipolar disorder.

The appeal follows a warning from the World Health Organisation that an increase in mental health issues means urgent investment in new treatments for psychiatric disorders and brain diseases is needed.

The Brain Box Appeal will build on very promising and ethical research into brain disease already underway.

Kailah Eglington, Chief Executive of the DHT, says: “The majority of neurophysiology research to date has been conducted using highly invasive techniques on primates, rodents, rats, rabbits, dogs and cats. 

“But, animals are poor predictors of such uniquely human conditions which is why most animal research fails.  We want to improve our understanding of these devastating diseases through high quality research that doesn’t harm animals.”

The DHT has scientists and researchers around the UK working on promising brain-related projects.  The Brain Box Appeal will help continue this work and develop cutting-edge technologies that result in more human-relevant science.

How to help

• £10 buys 50 cryogenic vials to store human brain tissue samples
• £50 buys 100 test tubes for carrying out research
• £150 buys 500 centrifuge tubes for separation and purification
• £250 buys 50 cell culture plates
• £500 buys 500 culture flasks for growing cells
• £1000 buys a 2-hour non-invasive brain research scan

To donate to the Brain Box Appeal click here.  When donating please specify in ‘Additional information’ which brain box you would to donate towards:

Brain Box One: Mental Health

Utilising EEG-fMRI technology is laying important groundwork in mental health research combining two types of brain scanning to help improve our understanding and treatment of depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.  This replaces the use of monkeys, cats and rodents in very cruel experiments.

 

Brain Box Two: Epilepsy

Of all the human brain disorders, epilepsy ranks as one that currently uses a substantial number of laboratory animals.  An artificial epileptic state is induced in these animals causing painful seizures in rats, mice and rabbits.  This project is using in vitro epileptic human brain  tissue, which has been donated after surgery to research the disease.

 

Brain Box Three: Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a condition in which people go back and forth between periods of very good or irritable moods and depression.  The “mood swings” between mania and depression can be very quick.  An exciting new technology is being developed that could help sufferers and save thousands of dogs and rats that are sacrificed each year.

 

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