The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has taken an initiative to set up a national registry of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)- Indian Multiple Sclerosis and Allied Demyelinating Disorders Registry and Research Network (IMSRN). It is the first Indian nationwide dedicated database research network of MS and allied demyelinating disorders.

The registry will create an organised system for data collection, storage, retrieval, analysis, management and outcomes. The IMSRN (www.imsrn.icmr.org.in), was started in October 2021, with AIIMS New Delhi as the national coordinating centre and 24 participating centres spread across the country.

The inauguration of the registry was presided over by Professor Dr Subrata Sinha, Dean Academics of AIIMS, New Delhi and Dr Satish Chandra, former Director, NIMHANS, Bengaluru.

It is estimated that the MS affects about 20 persons per lakh populations and neuromyelitisoptica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) affects about 2.7 per lakh population although this may be an underestimation.