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Performed on cerebrospinal fluid, Mayo Clinic’s RT-QuIC prion test can distinguish prion disease from other types of rapidly progressive dementias to enhance patient care.

This microlearning will help learners develop the ability to include autoimmune movement disorders and related phenomena as part of the differential diagnosis, gain proficiency in categorizing autoimmune movement disorders based on phenotype and clinical progression, and identify effective strategies for diagnosing and managing autoimmune movement disorders.

Justin Fugelsang and Zach Pedowitz have never met. Yet both young men were diagnosed with a rare form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, called sorbitol dehydrogenase (SORD) deficiency, and both found clarity through Mayo Clinic Laboratories' innovative SORD testing. Their journeys inspire resilience, as Justin has channeled his emotions into guitar playing, and Zach has embraced educational leadership.

JoAnne Michael’s symptoms started with dizziness and forgetfulness before down spiraling into severe confusion, crying jags, and brain seizures. ER doctors at her local hospital initially thought she was on drugs. JoAnne, terrified, wondered if she was dying. Luckily, she had a guardian angel by her side: her mother, a retired nurse practitioner, who took her to Mayo Clinic, where the clinical experience and expertise of neurologist Andrew McKeon, M.B., B.Ch., M.D., helped give her a diagnosis and hope for a journey back to health.

Mayo Clinic Laboratories has developed a cutting-edge suite of Alzheimer's disease testing. The newest assays use blood samples, avoiding the need for lumbar punctures to obtain cerebrospinal fluid. The testing suite exemplifies Mayo Clinic Laboratories' innovative business approach. As a platform company, Mayo Clinic is creating a diagnostics ecosystem to meet a wide range of testing needs and help physicians order the right tests for their patients.

Matthew J. Schultz, Ph.D., and Amy L. White, M.S., CGC, explain how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' unique urine assay (Mayo ID: SORD) screens for peripheral neuropathy arising from SORD gene variants. Although recently identified, SORD-related peripheral neuropathy is fairly common.

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to discuss the latest advancements in Alzheimer’s disease testing and treatment.

Anastasia Zekeridou, M.D., Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' updated panels and methodology boost the accuracy and efficiency of testing for three autoimmune neurology biomarkers. Early diagnosis is key to managing debilitating conditions associated with these antibodies.

Divyanshu Dubey, M.B.B.S., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' unique PDE10A and TRIM46 tests facilitate the management of central nervous system disorders triggered by cancers. Early diagnosis and treatment are important for managing disabling neurological symptoms and malignancy.

Rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) is an umbrella term covering many devasting conditions, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Gregory (Gregg) Day, M.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' unique RPD evaluation and new CJD test help pinpoint diagnosis, to guide prognosis and treatment decisions.

What started as a persistent headache for Spencer Lodin soon devolved into slowed speech, seizures, and hallucinations, symptoms which stumped ER doctors into thinking he had meningitis or was suffering from psychosis. Finally, specialized testing at Mayo Clinic identified Spencer's condition as GFAP-IgG associated autoimmune encephalitis, which allowed for targeted treatment and a full recovery.

Mayo Clinic Laboratories has marked a significant advancement in the fight against Alzheimer's disease with the introduction of an innovative diagnostic test. This noninvasive blood test accurately detects the p-Tau217 biomarker, indicative of amyloid beta accumulation in the brain. This test is set to transform the approach to Alzheimer's disease management, offering a convenient and less invasive alternative to traditional diagnostic methods.