BRAIN WEIGHTS IN ADULT NIGERIANS

The average brain weight of adult humans, using Caucasian figures, is said to be between 1300g to 1400g. Few studies have however been done to make actual evaluations of brain weights in adult Africans. This study seeks to add to the body of knowledge on the weight of brains from people of African descent with respect to variations in sex and age in decades using autopsy specimens. Analysis of the weight of brains removed from both male and female adult patients during fresh autopsy of their bodies in the University College Hospital, Ibadan over a ten year period was done. The study criteria required non-involvement of the central nervous system in the cause of death. Descriptive statistical analysis was done using SPSS 20 statistics software. A total of one hundred and sixteen brains were included in the study and the mean brain weight was 1280g with a range between 1015g to 1590g. There was minimal variation between the third to fourth, fifth to sixth and seventh to eight decades with mean weights of 1282g, 1281g and 1275g respectively. The mean brain weight of adult males was 1333.75g with a range of 1100g to 1590g while that of females was 1212.50g with a range 1015g to 1500g. The difference was however not statistically significant (p = 0.126). The brain weight of adult Africans in our study is similar to that seen in Caucasians. There is a reduction in the brain weight of adults from the seventh decades of life. Male adults have heavier brains than the females but the difference is not significant.