What does a neurodiagnostic technologist do?

What is a Neurodiagnostic Technologist?

Neurodiagnostic technology assists in diagnosing problems with the brain, nervous system, and sleep habits of humans. Someone in this profession uses complex diagnostic equipment to perform tests that target these three areas of the human body. A neurodiagnostic technologist works in a hospital or outpatient clinic setting. He/she is usually the person who discovers abnormalities that allow the physician to diagnosis and treat a patient’s problems.

What does a Neurodiagnostic Technologist do?

Neurodiagnostic technologists are responsible for doing a variety of tests that look at how the brain, nerves, and muscles work. They talk with patients and prepare them for testing by explaining what is going to occur, how it will affect them, and why the results of the testing will assist the patient’s physician. They perform the test, ensure the results are accurate, and recognize and correct abnormalities caused by sources other than the patient.

Neurodiagnostic technologists will review, edit, and offer explanations for test results prior to sending them to the physician. They need to ensure that the information the report relays has value and is easy for the physician to interpret and apply to the patient’s clinical condition. They need to account for normal variances versus abnormalities in testing results.

The neurodiagnostic technologist is capable of performing a variety of advanced diagnostic tests:

• electroencephalograms that measure electrical activity of the brain
• nerve conduction studies that measure how the brain conducts messages to various nerves throughout the body
• electromyography, which measures the electrical activity of skeletal muscles
• intraoperative monitoring of nerves and muscle responses

What is the workplace of a Neurodiagnostic Technologist like?

Neurodiagnostic technologists can expect to work in a hospital, outpatient clinic, research facility, or a sleep study lab. The workspaces are clean but often small. The machinery takes up a large portion of the space, leaving a relatively small space for the patient and technician.