Advanced Cerebrospinal Fluid Testing for Challenging CNS Diagnoses
Date: October 18, 2026
Time: 11:45 am to 12:45 pm
Room: Coral 5
Track: Interactive Lunch Workshop (ILW)
Session Description
Timely and accurate diagnosis of complex central nervous system (CNS) disorders remains a major challenge in clinical neurology. Neurotropic infections, autoimmune encephalitides, and CNS neoplasms often present with overlapping features, where delays in diagnosis can lead to inappropriate treatment and irreversible neurologic injury. Advances in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diagnostics—including metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), immune biomarkers, and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assays—are transforming diagnostic approaches and clinical management.
This interactive lunch session will bring together experts in neuroinfectious disease, neuroimmunology, and neuro-oncology to present case-based discussions and practical frameworks for integrating advanced CSF diagnostics into clinical care. Emphasis will be placed on appropriate test selection, interpretation, and real-world application to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Identify emerging advanced CSF diagnostic tools across neuroinfectious disease, neuroimmunology, and neuro-oncology.
- Evaluate the clinical utility of advanced CSF testing in diagnostically challenging cases.
- Apply advanced CSF diagnostics to the evaluation and management of complex CNS disorders.
Speakers
Advanced Diagnostic Testing for CNS Infections
Description
Timely and accurate diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) infections remains one of the greatest challenges in neuroinfectious disease, with important implications for antimicrobial therapy, patient outcomes, and healthcare resource utilization. Advances in molecular diagnostics, biomarker discovery, and precision medicine are transforming the evaluation of patients with suspected meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis, and other neuroinfectious syndromes.
This presentation will provide a state-of-the-art overview of advanced diagnostic approaches for CNS infections and their integration into contemporary clinical practice. Participants will review diagnostic strategies that combine clinical assessment with molecular testing, next-generation sequencing, host-response biomarkers, neuroimaging, and conventional microbiologic methods to improve diagnostic accuracy and guide patient management. Topics will include the strengths and limitations of emerging diagnostic technologies, approaches to interpreting complex or unexpected test results, and practical strategies for distinguishing infectious from noninfectious neurological disorders. The presentation will also highlight recent advances in precision diagnostics, diagnostic stewardship, and evidence-based clinical care pathways, along with ongoing challenges related to test utilization and implementation.
Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of advanced diagnostic technologies for CNS infections and practical insights into incorporating these tools into evidence-based clinical practice while recognizing their current limitations and future potential.
Advanced Diagnostic Testing for CNS Autoimmune Disorders
Description
The growing availability of diagnostic biomarkers for autoimmune neurological disorders has significantly improved the recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of these increasingly identified conditions. However, substantial variation exists in the assays used to discover autoantigens and in the methods used to detect clinically relevant antibodies, creating important challenges in test interpretation and clinical decision-making.
This presentation will provide an overview of the current landscape of autoimmune neurological diagnostic testing, with a focus on the differences among available assays and their implications for clinical practice. Participants will explore the strengths and limitations of commonly used testing approaches, factors that influence test performance, and the importance of selecting appropriate patients for testing. The session will also address strategies for interpreting positive and negative results in the context of the clinical presentation to optimize diagnostic accuracy and predictive value.
Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of the nuances of autoimmune neurological diagnostic testing and practical insights into when and for whom these tests should be ordered. They will gain strategies for interpreting results within the appropriate clinical context and maximizing the positive and negative predictive value of autoimmune antibody testing.
The 'Next-Generation' of CSF Diagnostics for CNS Malignancies
Description
Cell-free nucleic acid testing and circulating tumor cell enumeration are rapidly emerging as important tools in the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment planning of patients with primary and secondary central nervous system (CNS) malignancies. As these technologies become increasingly integrated into clinical practice, understanding their appropriate use, interpretation, and limitations is essential for neurologists caring for patients with CNS tumors.
This presentation will review the current and emerging applications of cell-free nucleic acid testing and circulating tumor cell enumeration in CNS malignancies. Through illustrative clinical cases, participants will explore when and how these tools can be incorporated into diagnostic evaluation and treatment planning, including their potential role in disease characterization and monitoring. The session will also address the limitations of these technologies, including challenges related to test performance, interpretation, and clinical implementation.
Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of the evolving role of cell-free nucleic acid testing and circulating tumor cell enumeration in CNS malignancies and practical insights into when these tools may be most useful in clinical practice.
