Neurology

Joe Mondloch and his wife Sue have existed in a grey area of uncertainty due to the unpredictable autoimmune neurological illness Joe has lived with for the last seven years. Rare, incurable, and debilitating, the newly classified disorder can be hard to manage. But thanks to information and direction provided by a rare disease advocacy group, the Mondlochs sought care at Mayo Clinic and received much more than answers.

Angela Pickart, M.S., CGC, and Emily Lauer, M.S., CGC, explain how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' multigene panel helps identify the cause of hereditary ataxia. Precise diagnosis of this complex movement disorder helps guide patient treatment and family screening.

The spectrum of autoimmune movement disorders, diagnosis and treatment.

In this month's "Hot Topic," Eoin Flanagan, M.B., B.Ch., reviews the recent diagnostic criteria for Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-associated Disease (MOGAD).

Sean Pittock, M.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' novel Ma2 test aids diagnosis of autoimmune neurology disorders that are often caused by underlying cancer. Rapid diagnosis is key to preventing significant disability and disease.

Mayo Clinic Laboratories is excited to participate in the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, taking place in person in Boston on April 22–27, 2023.

In this test-specific episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, and Bjorn Oskarsson, M.D., a neurologist at Mayo Clinic’s Florida campus, discuss how the neurofilament light chain test available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories helps physicians diagnose neurological disease and assess neuronal damage.

Mayo Clinic Laboratories is thrilled to participate in the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting 2023.

Zhiyv (Neal) Niu, Ph.D., and Rodolfo Savica, M.D., Ph.D., explain why Mayo Clinic Laboratories' gene panel is the most comprehensive test available for inherited Parkinson's disease. The new panel covers all mutations known to cause the condition — or increase the risk of developing it.

Zhiyv (Neal) Niu, Ph.D., and Christopher Klein, M.D., explain how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' updated neuromuscular gene panel informs diagnosis and treatment. The phenotype-based panel covers the complete list of neuromuscular genes and their variants.

Nicole Boczek, Ph.D., and Sarah Barnett, M.S., CGC, explain how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' whole genome sequencing provides comprehensive information for rapid diagnosis of hereditary disorders.

Molecular biomarkers are a critical component in the treatment of adult and pediatric brain tumors. Robert Jenkins, M.D., Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' chromosomal microarray provides more comprehensive and accurate tumor analysis compared with other test methods.

In this month's "Hot Topic," Eoin Flanagan, M.B., B. Ch., discusses the important issue of autoimmune encephalitis misdiagnosis and identifies red flags that be useful in clinical practice to suggest alternative diagnoses and highlight antibodies that sometimes cause confusion.