Blood Test for Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Blood tests for MS diagnosis.
Blood tests are used to rule out other conditions that cause similar symptoms to MS, such as:1–4
- Other central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory diseases
- Rare neurological conditions
- Infections
- Genetic disorders
- Brain tumours
- Vitamin deficiencies
Blood tests are carried out by your doctor, usually as the first step in the diagnosis.2
If the results of the blood test do not provide an alternative explanation for your symptoms, then you will be referred to a neurologist, who will then recommend or perform further assessments to test for MS.
A blood test is only useful to rule out other conditions.2,3
Other diagnostic tests such as MRI scans
will be needed to confirm if you have MS.4
There are a lot of tests that come with an MS diagnosis. These articles could help.
Each article relates to a different test or method used to help diagnose MS. All explained as openly and clearly as possible.
- Scolding N. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2001;71(Suppl II):ii9–15.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Diagnosing multiple sclerosis. https://pathways.nice.org.uk/pathways/multiple-sclerosis/diagnosing-multiple-sclerosis [accessed May 2020].
- NHS. MS diagnosis. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/multiple-sclerosis/diagnosis/ [accessed May 2020].
- Garg N. Brain Behav. 2015;5:e00362.