Approach to the post-mortem investigation of neurodegenerative diseases: from diagnosis to research

Neurodegenerative diseases are common. Establishing a precise post-mortem diagnosis of one of these disorders is necessary to accurately attribute the cause of death, to determine familial risk and to inform clinicopathological correlation. However, to the non-specialist this may appear to be a daunting prospect. In this article we provide an overview of the clinical and neuropathological features of common neurodegenerative diseases and suggest an approach to the post-mortem examination when a neurodegenerative disease is suspected. We conclude by outlining the vital role that brain banks have in furthering our understanding of these diseases.