The contemporary AIDS database and brain bank--lessons from the past.

This paper addresses the issues in establishing a contemporary AIDS Brain Bank with a Database. It draws comparisons from the past when a similar approach was made towards the understanding of mental illness and its treatment. The aim of the Brain Bank is to provide a comprehensive range of neuropathologically characterised tissues from the nervous system to researchers and scientists as a resource for research. The aim of the Database is to provide the up-to-date clinical and pathological information relating to the material supplied by the Brain Bank. The paper describes the mechanics of establishing the Database, the importance of efficiency as well as discussing the sensitive issues that need to be addressed when designing and AIDS Database and Brain Bank.