| Prevalence | 1-10 per 100,000 population |
| Geographic variation | Higher prevalence in Asian, African, and Latin American populations |
| Age of onset | Mean 30-40 years (range: <10 to >70) |
| Gender distribution | Strong female predominance (F:M = 9:1) |
| Incidence | Approximately 0.5-4 per 100,000 person-years |
| Location | Perivascular and pial astrocyte processes |
| Function | Water homeostasis, glutamate clearance, potassium buffering |
| Expression | Highest in optic nerve, spinal cord, hypothalamus, circumventricular organs |
| Structure | Orthogonal array of particles (OAPs) visible on electron microscopy |
| AQP4+ NMOSD | Astrocyte targeting, complement-mediated injury |
| MOGAD | Oligodendrocyte targeting, complement-independent |
| Optic neuritis | Unilateral or bilateral; often severe vision loss |
| Databases | OMIMOrphanetClinicalTrialsPubMed |