NMO-DBr: the Brazilian Neuromyelitis Optica Database System

• Main Authors: Marco A. Lana-Peixoto, Lívia Edwiges Talim, Alessandra C. Faria-Campos, Sérgio V.A. Campos, Cristiane F. Rocha, Lucas A. Hanke, Natália Talim, Paulo Henrique Batista, Carolina R. Araujo, Rodrigo Kleinpaul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Academia Brasileira de Neurologia (ABNEURO) 2011-08-01
• Series: Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
• Subjects: NMO-DBr; Brazilian Neuromyelitis Optica Database System; neuromielite óptica; variante de NMO; banco de dados
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2011000500021&lng=en&tlng=en

OBJECTIVE: To present the Brazilian Neuromyelitis Optica Database System (NMO-DBr), a database system which collects, stores, retrieves, and analyzes information from patients with NMO and NMO-related disorders. METHOD: NMO-DBr uses Flux, a LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems) for data management. We used information from medical records of patients with NMO spectrum disorders, and NMO variants, the latter defined by the presence of neurological symptoms associated with typical lesions on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or aquaporin-4 antibody seropositivity. RESULTS: NMO-DBr contains data related to patient's identification, symptoms, associated conditions, index events, recurrences, family history, visual and spinal cord evaluation, disability, cerebrospinal fluid and blood tests, MRI, optic coherence tomography, diagnosis and treatment. It guarantees confidentiality, performs cross-checking and statistical analysis. CONCLUSION: NMO-DBr is a tool which guides professionals to take the history, record and analyze information making medical practice more consistent and improving research in the area.