Date	Event
2/17	Chapter Annual Meeting
3/5	Ask the Experts
3/10-3/13	National Leadership Conference
4/2	Share the Care Training
4/9	Walk to D'Feet ALS Redlands
May '05	ALS Awareness Month
5/7	Walk to D'Feet ALS Ventura
5/9-5/11	Advocacy Days
5/19	Lou Gehrig's Birthday
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What is ALS? | Treatments | Diagnosis | Research | Resources | Seminars

Diagnosis of ALS

ALS is a very difficult disease to diagnose. To date, there is no one test or procedure to ultimately establish the diagnosis of ALS. It is through a clinical examination and series of diagnostic tests, often ruling out other diseases that mimic ALS, that a diagnosis can be established. A comprehensive diagnostic workup includes most, if not all, of the following procedures:

• electrodiagnostic tests including electomyography (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV)
  
• blood and urine studies including high resolution serum protein electrophoresis, thyroid and parathyroid hormone levels and 24 hour urine collection for heavy metals

• spinal tap
  
• x-rays, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  
• myelogram of cervical spine
  
• muscle and/or nerve biopsy
  
• thorough neurological examination

These tests are done at the discretion of the physician, usually based on the results of other diagnostic tests.

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