How is MS Diagnosed?
At this time, no single test is available to identify or rule out MS. Several tests and procedures are needed. These are likely to include:
- Complete Medical History
The physician takes a very careful medical history, looking for past and current symptoms or changes indicative of damage in the central nervous system.
- Nervous System Functioning
The neurologic exam consists of tests of reflexes, balance, coordination, sensation (including tingling or numbness), and vision.
- Diagnostic Tests such as:
- MRI scan, which is the best imaging technology for detecting the presence of MS plaques or scarring (also called lesions) in different parts of the central nervous system (CNS). It can also differentiate old lesions from those that are new or active.
- Evoked potential tests, which measures how quickly and accurately a person’s nervous system responds to stimulation
- Spinal tap, which checks spinal fluid for signs of immune system dysfunction
- Optical coherence tomography (OCT) to quantify retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) can detect MS disease processes.
In order to make a diagnosis of MS, the physician must
- Find evidence (seen on a MRI) of damage in at least two separate areas of the CNS, which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves AND
- Find evidence that the damage occurred at least one month apart AND
- Rule out all other possible diagnoses.
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