Ensuring a Comprehensive Diagnosis of CIDP and the Role of EMG

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) remains one of the more complex and heterogeneous immune-mediated neuropathies encountered in clinical practice. Despite established diagnostic criteria and growing awareness, accurately distinguishing CIDP from other neuropathies continues to present a major challenge. Clinicians must balance the art and science of diagnosis—integrating the rate of disease progression, patterns of weakness and sensory loss, and evolving electrophysiologic findings—to reach an accurate conclusion. In recent years, refinements in nerve conduction studies, EMG techniques, and consensus guidelines have helped sharpen diagnostic precision, enabling earlier identification and intervention for patients.

In this first episode of this Special Report, Amit Sachdev, MD, explores how neurologists can refine their diagnostic approach amid a broad spectrum of neuropathic presentations. He discusses the role of EMG and CSF analysis in confirming demyelination, the utility of the 2021 EFNS/PNS consensus criteria, and the ongoing evolution of clinical reasoning in differentiating CIDP from mimicking disorders. Sachdev also begins to frame the broader conversation of the series—how neurologists can evolve beyond traditional treatment paradigms to reduce patient burden and aim for improved long-term outcomes.