R.NCS.T case studies
R.NCS.T · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Registered Nerve Conduction Study Technologist (R.NCS.T) is a professional credential offered by ABRET, the organization behind neurodiagnostic credentialing and accreditation. It is intended for technologists who perform nerve conduction studies and who want independent verification of their knowledge and skills beyond on-the-job training. The R.NCS.T case studies are 5 cases and about 2,442 words.
1Ulnar Neuropathy at the Elbow: Localizing the Lesion When Segments Disagree
A 47-year-old machinist reports 5 months of right hand weakness and intermittent numbness of the little finger. Examination shows mild wasting of the first dorsal interosseous, Medical Research Council grade 4/5 abduction of the little finger, and preserved flexor carpi ulnaris bulk.
539 words, about 3 min2Absent Lower-Limb SSEPs in a Patient Who Cannot Lie Flat
A 62-year-old with 3 weeks of progressive ascending numbness to the knees and new urinary urgency is referred for tibial somatosensory evoked potentials. He becomes dyspneic when supine and cannot tolerate the standard position; he can lie at 30 degrees of head elevation.
541 words, about 3 min3Motor Threshold, Medication, and Safety in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
A 29-year-old is enrolled in a research protocol measuring motor evoked potentials from the right first dorsal interosseous with single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation. She takes 40 mg of citalopram daily and 400 mg of carbamazepine twice daily for epilepsy that has been seizure-free for 6 years.
457 words, about 2 min4When the Median and Ulnar Studies Do Not Fit the Symptoms
A 38-year-old pianist reports numbness of the whole right hand at night, worse after practice, with no weakness. Examination shows normal power, normal reflexes, and reduced pinprick over the entire palm including the thenar eminence.
494 words, about 2 min5Reporting a Study You Cannot Interpret Confidently
You are the only technologist on a Saturday shift. A 71-year-old inpatient with diabetic neuropathy is sent for upper- and lower-limb nerve conduction studies.
411 words, about 2 min