Final answer:
A neuropathological autopsy is the examination of the brain post-mortem. It has been used historically to understand brain function and diseases but has limitations like postmortem changes and the incapability to track the timing of brain changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of autopsy that involves the post-mortem examination of the brain only is known as a neuropathological autopsy or neurological autopsy. This specialized procedure focuses solely on the brain to investigate neurological diseases, brain injuries, or to study the brain structure in detail. Autopsies have been important in understanding brain pathology before modern imaging but are limited because changes can occur postmortem, and they cannot reveal when or how brain changes occurred over time.
One famous example of the use of autopsy in understanding brain function includes the work of Paul Broca, who performed an autopsy on a patient known as Leborgne and found a lesion in the left hemisphere that was associated with the patient's inability to communicate. This led to a greater understanding of the brain's role in language, though such methods had their limitations, such as being unable to determine the timing of injuries or changes in the brain during the patient's life.