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Diagnosis of ALS/MND Around the World: Let’s Compare
There is no single test to diagnose amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) because it shares common symptoms with other neurological diseases. Instead, the diagnosis is based on a period of observation to track the progression of symptoms, combined with a series of clinical tests to rule out other conditions.
An MRI, EMG, and muscle biopsies are among the clinical tests commonly used in the U.S. (see this article for details)
If you live outside of the U.S., what types of testing or clinical tests were used by your doctor to determine your diagnosis?
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7 Replies
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Here in the U.S., I had the typical MRIs, EMG, labs, and in-person assessment by a neurologist. I’m curious if doctors in other countries have similar or different tests for ALS.
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I’m in NZ and I had two sets of EMG tests done 8 months apart plus a few other strength and neurologal tests performed by the neurologist right before being being given a confirmed diagnosis. I had prior to that had two MRI tests which ruled out other possibilities for my leg weakness coming from my back.
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sarahw – – may I ask, how long would you guess it took from you first noticing symptoms until you received a diagnosis?
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Hi Dagmar sorry for late reply. It was probably a year it took to get diagnosis mainly because long delays getting follow up appointments to discuss results. I had minor symptoms about a year before being tested as I didn’t think much of them at the time.
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sarahw, no worries about replying late 😉 We’re all operating in “slow mode” with ALS. Your diagnosis experiences seem to follow those of patients around the world – – difficulty identifying symptoms, delays in getting appointments, and inconclusive decisions from doctors.
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Oh yes totally agree with the length of time it took to get appointments.
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EMG confirm ELA (ALS/MND)
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