Neurologist Explains New Testing Capabilities

• New and updated testing equipment in the Neurology Department at Defiance Clinic benefits patients with a variety of problems that affect the brain and nervous system.

  
  

  “These upgrades allow us to offer a higher and more accurate level of testing,” explained Prasad N. Policherla, M.D., the Clinic’s neurologist. “The new Transcranial Doppler (TCD), for example, has an exciting new application – a non-invasive test for PFO, which is a particular heart defect that can cause stroke.”

  
  

  TCD is an ultrasound examination that can also be used to find blockages in arteries of the brain that could lead to stroke and to find blood clots that could break loose and block blood flow to the brain.

  
  

  “We often use TCD to help make a diagnosis when a patient experiences dizziness,” Dr. Policherla added.

  
  

  The Clinic also has updated equipment for EEG (electoencephalography) to measure brain wave activity. EEG is used in the diagnosis of migraine headaches, seizures, epilepsy and dementia and memory loss.

  The updated EMG (electromyography) equipment is used to measure muscle and nerve function. This test is indicated for patients experiencing general weakness in the arms and legs, suspected carpal tunnel syndrome and peripheral neuropathy.

  Together with EEG and EMG, evoked potentials are used to detect problems in the pathways to the brain that affect vision and hearing and to diagnose problems of the spine.

  Dr. Policherla is a fellowship-trained neurologist. He is board-certified in internal medicine and urgent care medicine. He holds certification from the American Society of Neuroimaging, and he is a diplomat of the American Academy of Pain Management.