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Motor neurone disease
A guide for patients and carers
How is MND diagnosed?
Most people suspected of having MND, or who display some or all of the symptoms of the disease, will be referred to a neurologist by their GP, although there can sometimes be quite a delay between the first appearance of symptoms and getting a diagnosis from a neurologist. It is important to realise that not everyone with these symptoms will have MND, since there are other diseases which can produce many of these features. This is why the expert help of the neurologist is needed to make the diagnosis. Sometimes a second consultant’s opinion will be requested to confirm the diagnosis.
The most important part of the examination for the neurologist is the information obtained by talking with the person and their family. They will want to know how the illness developed and what the current problems are. A physical examination is also carried out. The neurologist will then usually request a number of tests or investigations in order to confirm the diagnosis. These will include blood tests, electromyography (EMG), X-rays and a Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) Scan of the brain and/or the spine. Sometimes the person will be admitted to hospital so that these tests can be carried out quickly.
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Contents
- Introduction
- What is motor neurone disease?
- What are the symptoms?
- Is there only one kind of MND?
- Who gets MND?
- How is MND diagnosed?
- What do the tests tell the doctor?
- Treatment
- Dealing with the effects of MND
- How will life be affected?
- Useful equipment
- Conclusion
- MND organisations
- Other organisations that may be able to help
