Biomarker evaluations to guide treatment

For patients with autoimmune or paraneoplastic neuropathies, which can cause a range of problems with motor, sensory, and sensorimotor processing, advanced laboratory testing plays a vital role in confirming diagnoses. Peripheral autoimmune neuropathies have a variety of causes that have either axonal or demyelinating associations. While these conditions have overlapping features, treatment response differs depending on the underlying cause. Pinpointing disease etiology through biomarker evaluation enables valuable insights on treatment response.

A distinct approach to test differentiation

The Neuroimmunology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic offers a menu of autoimmune neuropathy tests that evaluate for specific antibody biomarkers linked to the illness. Using electrophysiology test results as a determining factor for which test to order, our expert-backed evaluations provide accurate results to confirm diagnosis and set patients on the best treatment path.

Testing for autoimmune neuropathies

Axonal testing

• Order this test when nerve conduction velocity studies reveal lower amplitudes with relatively preserved conduction velocity.

Demyelinating testing

• Order this test when nerve conduction studies show prolonged distal latency or marked slowing of conduction velocities.