VEP done by?

Hi Everyone,

I've been looking around and can't find who actually conducts the visual evoked potential tests. Is it your neurologist or an opthamologist?  I have had optic neuritis in both eyes and from what I've read, this test can show whether or not demyelination has taken place in my optic nerves. I wonder why my neurologist never asked me to get the test done, too. ????  

I wonder if that plus my spinal lesion may clinch my diagnosis of MS?

Thanks,
Kelly

[lovemy6monkeys]

Kelly,

I had it done at the first visit with my doctor. He is a neuro-opthamologist. I would assume that you would see either an ophthamologist or a neuro-opthamologist. But I could be wrong. My VEP results were normal in my right eye, and an 8 millisecond delay in my left. My doctor said that was enough of a delay to warrant further testing but not enough to point conclusively to MS.

I do not know if an abnormal VEP plus a spinal lesion is enough to diagnose. I think doctors vary widely on what they require for a diagnosis.
~Jess

[daisy.girl]

Hi....
A technician in my neurologist's office performed my evoked potential tests....and my neurologist reads them.

[rendean]

Kelly,

My experience was similar to daisy girl. Went to a lab in the hospital adjacent to the neuro's office. Tech did the test and a neuro (not mine) read the results.

As for clinching the dx, I'm not sure but it seems as though it would fit the dissemination in time and space to me. I'd ask my neuro about ordering the test.

Ren

[Udkas]

Hi there,
My neurologist performed all my nerve conduction tests himself and was able to give me the results whilst I was there.  He made my appointment long enough to then discuss it all with me, he could see while he was doing my tests how I was going but said he would wait and double check with the computer print out too.  They can tell by the graphs etc.

They need to have special training in this and not all neurologists can use the equipment, it is a specialist thing, so many neurologists refer you to a techi who does the testing and then gives the results to the neurologist.

My first neurologist didn't do the testing himself but had a tech do it but kept coming in and out of the room while I was having it done, I then had a consultation with him afterwards and because my Visual Evoked Potentials were abnormal I was put in hospital that day and give IV Steriods for a week and was told I probably had MS, infact he said he was 99% certain I did have MS, but then my brain MRI was normal!

Good luck with it all
Cheers,
Udkas.

[daisy.girl]

Udkas is right...
My neuro is also board certified in Electrodiagnostic Medicine, so he reads his own EEG's, EMG, and evoked potentials.

[PastorDan]

Ditto to what Ren said, although I remain skeptical about the system where I had it done.

My VEP was performed in the neurology department of a university hospital.  Although the test was ordered by the NP at that hospital's MS center (same place Lulu's had such success), that hospital initially said that they don't do them.  I had then called all around, and set two tentative appointments for weeks ahead.  One was at a children's hospital; the other was at a university hospital one state north of here.  Later, the MS Center's scheduler overheard a conversation in an elevator, leading her to locate the part of their own hospital's neurology labs that did EP's.  Thinking that to be preferable to either of the other two (and since it was faster), I went there.

They performed the VEP and SSEP (lower extremities only) at the same sitting.  They lost the data, lost the dictation, lost the reports, and finally produced a report saying that the VEP was normal, but that the SSEP could not be interpreted due to a technical problem, with no further explanation.  Many calls failed to produce anyone willing make a decision to order that the testing be repeated, and without that, my insurance wouldn't cover it.  One of several points that led me to seek help outside that hospital's system.

[kelly97]

Wow, so many answers. Thank you for your responses.

I'm going to see my neuro's PA tomorrow. I will bring it up to her to see what she thinks.