Overview
Electroneurodiagnostic [END] technologists use specialized equipment to monitor how well a patient’s nervous system is functioning, so doctors can identify and treat neurological problems.
END technologists receive extensive training in neurophysiology, so they can identify normal and abnormal electrical activity in the central, nervous, autonomic and peripheral nervous systems. By recording electrical patterns throughout these systems, END technologists provide valuable data that a physician will use to diagnose and treat conditions such as headaches, dizziness, seizure disorders, strokes and degenerative brain disease.
The tests performed by END technologists can also help doctors uncover hidden causes of mental disorders, and determine whether a patient is “brain dead.”
END technologists perform a number of procedures, including:
- electroencephalograms (EEGs), used to assess brain activity
- intraoperative neuromonitoring, which tracks brain and nerve function during surgery
- long-term monitoring, used to diagnose seizures and other disorders
- polysomnograms, used to diagnose sleep disorders
- evoked potential studies, in which the technologist measures neurological responses to external stimuli to trace electrical pathways
- nerve conduction studies, which measure the time it takes to send an electrical signal along a nerve to a specific muscle
The EEG is the most common test performed by END technologists. Technologists also are responsible for maintaining and calibrating equipment, and ensuring the safety of patients and staff.
Neurologists depend on END technologists to provide accurate data and analysis. The END technologist must, therefore, have the knowledge, judgment and critical thinking skills to ensure that the results reported are accurate and complete.
You can download, save and print a PDF of this career profile:
Electroneurodiagnostic Technologists PDF 02 Sep 2008 [pdf, 155 KB]
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Salary:
$38,000
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$47,000
[*]
Years in school:
1
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2
after high school graduation
Job outlook:
Excellent
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