Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): Diagnosis

ALS is often difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are similar to those of other neuromuscular disorders. In addition to performing a thorough physical and neurological exam, your neurologist will request nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and electromyogram (EMG) studies to test for nerve damage. He or she may also employ the following tests to rule out muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord tumors, or other neuromuscular diseases:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scan) may be used to rule out spinal cord disease.
• Blood may be analyzed to detect the presence of heavy metals such as lead in the blood.
• Laboratory tests may detect abnormal proteins or hormone levels associated with other neurological diseases.

A lumbar puncture may be performed to analyze the cerebrospinal fluid for genetic abnormalities.