MND is difficult to diagnose. And it is such a devastating disease that neurologists like to be quite sure before delivering the diagnosis.

There is no specific test for MND. A pattern might be for a person to take some ill-defined symptoms to a general practitioner, who may not have seen a case of MND before. The person will be referred to a neurologist who may carry out a battery of tests [MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), nerve conduction, muscle and blood tests] and after eliminating other diseases that may mimic MND, will finally make the diagnosis.

Because it can be difficult to make a definitive diagnosis early in the course of the disease, and because the implications are so far-reaching, it is recommended that patients seek an opinion from a second neurologist. It is also wise to have the diagnosis reviewed every 12 months.