Brain transplantation

The term "Brain Transplantation," which can also refer to whole-brain or full-brain transplantation, refers to a theoretical medical process in which the recipient's brain is replaced with the entire brain of a donor organism.¹

Experimental background

The first cephalic exchange transplant in monkey was carried out in the 1970s by American neurosurgeon Robert White, who attacked the head of a rhesus monkey to the body of a headless monkey. Despite being totally paralyzed, the monkey managed to survive for eight days and regained fundamental senses like taste, smell, hearing, and muscular function in the face of the transplanted head.

Present status

According to current understanding, total brain transplants are not feasible due to a number of major obstacles. It is impossible to separate the brain from the thick Dura mater due to the complex relationship between the dural cranial sinuses and the outflow of brain’s venous blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Furthermore, the intricate blood artery network in the brain makes it difficult to regenerate veins and arteries after transplantation. The difficult task ahead is further highlighted by the lack of a practical method for reattaching the severed spinal cord and the inability to use technology to reconnect cranial nerves. These significant obstacles support the general agreement that full brain transplants are still outside the current scope of medical science and technology.

Surgical challenges

Whole-brain transplantation presents numerous surgical challenges. It would require delicate procedures to remove the donor brain intact, preserve its neural connections, and transplant it into the recipient while ensuring proper vascularization and integration with the recipient's body. The complexity of the brain's structure and function makes this task extraordinarily difficult.²

Ethically controversial

Significant ethical questions about identity, consciousness, autonomy, and the concept of the self are brought up by brain transplantation. If the transplant is successful, the donor's memories, personality, and cognitive abilities may be inherited by the recipient, blurring the boundaries between personal identities. The idea also calls into question the meaning of death, consent, and the possibility of technological abuse or exploitation.

Can brain transplants become a reality?

Transplanting organs has advanced significantly. Not only hearts and livers can be transplanted these days, but also working uteruses, hands, and even faces.

But will brain transplantation actually become reality? Maybe yes, but that's a very, very long way off from happening. Furthermore, even if it were feasible, it's not entirely apparent that it would be morally right. Given that a brain transplant is essentially a body transplant, the question of whether it is appropriate to save the life of a single individual using the organs of a donor or whether it is preferable to use the donor's organs to save numerous lives simultaneously arises.³