brain, spinal cord, and nerve disorders
Fatal Insomnia
Diagnosis of Fatal Insomnia
A doctor's evaluation Polysomnography and positron emission tomography For the familial form, genetic testing Doctors consider fatal insomnia as a rare possible diagnosis when people have typical symptoms, such as rapidly deteriorating mental function, loss of coordination, and/or sleep problems. The following are done to confirm the diagnosis: Testing , which can detect abnormalities in sleep patterns Positron Emission Tomography (PET) (PET), which can detect certain abnormalities in the thalamus The diagnosis of fatal familial insomnia is confirmed by genetic testing. 