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The Meixoeiro Hospital Brain Bank (BB) was established at the end of 2002. A BB is a tissue collection and storage system, established under the best conditions to carry out prospective morphological, biochemical or molecular studies. The BB should ideally be supported by a donor program, although samples may also be obtained from autopsy material from patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Recruitment of control cases from brains without neurological diseases is basic. The main goal of a BB is to provide brain tissue for research. Each case requires accurate clinical data, a definite diagnosis and optimal conditions of tissue preservation. The use of protocols to standardize the handling and processing of tissues, data recruitment and neuropathological diagnosis is fundamental to assure the quality and homogeneity of samples. Close collaboration between neuropathologists, neurologists and other specialists is essential in all the process. Although important advances in the tissue banking field have been achieved, the number of donors in Spain still remains low. Stronger institutional support as well as public awareness through better diffusion of the information is necessary to increase the number of donors and improve BB development.