Neurological Diagnostic Tests and Procedures

•   Diagnostic tests and procedures are vital tools that help physicians confirm or rule out the presence of a neurological disorder or other medical condition.  A century ago, the only way to make a positive diagnosis for many neurological disorders was by performing an autopsy after a patient had died. 

•  But decades of basic research into the characteristics of disease, and the development of techniques that allow scientists to see inside the living brain and monitor nervous system activity as it occurs, have given doctors powerful and accurate tools to diagnose disease and to test how well a particular therapy may be working.

•    Researchers and physicians use a variety of diagnostic imaging techniques and chemical and metabolic analyses to detect, manage, and treat neurological disease. 

•   Some procedures are performed in specialized settings, conducted to determine the presence of a particular disorder or abnormality. 

•    Many tests that were previously conducted in a hospital are now performed in a physician’s office or at an outpatient testing facility, with little if any risk to the patient.  Depending on the type of procedure, results are either immediate or may take several hours to process.

What are some of the more common screening tests?

•   Laboratory screening tests of blood, urine, or other substances are used to help diagnose disease, better understand the disease process, and monitor levels of therapeutic drugs.  Certain tests, ordered by the physician as part of a regular check-up, provide general information, while others are used to identify specific health concerns. 

•   For example, blood and blood product tests can detect brain and/or spinal cord infection, bone marrow disease, hemorrhage, blood vessel damage, toxins that affect the nervous system, and the presence of antibodies that signal the presence of an autoimmune disease.