The NeuroAnalyst role is an attractive, relatively new rung in the career ladder for neurodiagnostic technologists and marks the highest level of expertise among EEG technologists.
ASET first published the job description for NeuroAnalysts (under the name Advanced LTM Analyst) in 2016 (ASET, 2016), and the ABRET NeuroAnalyst-CLTM (NA-CLTM) credential was first awarded in 2021 (ABRET, c2014). At the time of writing, ABRET shows only 29 NA-CLTM credential-holding technologists, a mere 3.6% of the current number of CLTM technologists (ABRET, c2014).
With many interested in pursuing this career path, technologists want to know how to align themselves on the right trajectory for this coveted role. This article summarizes knowledge, duties, education, experience, and skills compiled from job postings for NeuroAnalysts on Indeed (search term “neuroanalyst”) from September 2022 to December 2023 and the Guidelines for Qualifications of Neurodiagnostic Personnel position statement (López et al., 2023). This article is not intended to provide industry standards or guidelines. Instead, it summarizes employer-posted requirements and desired candidate qualifications to guide technologists in planning their career paths.
Required Expertise
Let us begin with an overview of the core knowledge sought by employers. NeuroAnalysts should possess a high level of expertise in artifacts and normal and abnormal EEG findings across the age spectrum. They should have extensive knowledge of medications and their effects on the EEG and be able to communicate EEG findings clearly and with current, standardized terminology. They should also possess an exceptional understanding of seizures, seizure classification, and epilepsy syndromes, including comorbidities and pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment. Technical expertise expected of NeuroAnalysts includes proficiency with Persyst software, technical troubleshooting, montages, data reduction techniques, computer operations, networking, types of recording storage media, video specifications, basic electrical safety, and digital EEG recording concepts. Given the expectations for clear communication and high technical expertise, excellent familiarity with ACNS guidelines and current ACNS standardized critical care terminology (see Hirsch et al., 2021; Tsuchida et al., 2013) are paramount.
Duties
The duties of a NeuroAnalyst may include EEG review, triage, documentation, data maintenance, quality improvement, and technical and educational support. NeuroAnalysts thoroughly and efficiently review raw and quantitative EEG data and annotate EEG files. This might consist of noting artifacts, event semiology, normal and abnormal findings, and changes in levels of consciousness. Facilities might have specific standards about how many hours of data should be reviewed in a particular time frame. When reviewing records, NeuroAnalysts may also review patient histories, medications, event logs, and recording parameters.
As for triage, an essential function of NeuroAnalysts is notifying physicians about significant events and critical test results that indicate urgent attention might be required. NeuroAnalysts also support physicians in documentation by preparing technical EEG reports (a.k.a. “technical descriptions”) that include detailed descriptions of normal and abnormal EEG findings and event semiology. They may also contribute to data maintenance by clipping and pruning EEG records to reduce long-term data storage.
NeuroAnalysts may also contribute to quality control and audit the quality of EEG studies or the completeness of associated test data and may be tasked with reporting quality concerns to the management team. Additionally, some NeuroAnalysts support lab improvement or expansion by assisting with developing new programs, refining workflows, or contributing to strategic planning by identifying growth opportunities.
NeuroAnalysts are considered neurodiagnostic experts and may be involved in technologist, resident, or fellow education and might be expected to provide coaching or mentoring or to participate in research activities. They may serve as a point of contact for physicians and fellows and liaisons between physicians and technologists, and may participate in daily patient rounds, updating the care team on patients’ current seizures, events, and/or interictal findings. Some prepare EEG and video data for epileptologists to present in multidisciplinary epilepsy surgery conferences.
NeuroAnalysts may have several technical responsibilities, such as creating montages, managing software tools, troubleshooting equipment problems, providing technical support for intracranial cases, or working with Information Technology (IT) or Biomedical Engineering staff to troubleshoot and maintain equipment.
As neurodiagnostic experts, NeuroAnalysts are expected to maintain their credentials and a high level of expertise by attending conferences or participating in other forms of education regularly.
Education
The current Qualifications for Neurodiagnostic Personnel position statement (López et al., 2023) lists the minimum education for a NeuroAnalyst as an associate degree or graduation from a CAAHEP-accredited neurodiagnostic technology program and lists preferred education as a bachelor’s degree or higher; however, employer job descriptions more frequently list a bachelor’s degree as the minimum education required.
Credentials and Professional Certificates
The Qualifications for Neurodiagnostic Personnel position statement (López et al., 2023) lists a minimum requirement of ABRET R. EEG T. and CLTM credentials, with the NA-CLTM preferred. Some employers may require or prefer additional certifications, such as passing the Critical Care EEG Monitoring Research Consortium (CCEMRC) Self-Assessment Examination on the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society’s 2021 Critical Care EEG Terminology.
Experience
The required experience relates closely to the knowledge base previously summarized. Required experience may include EEG review, clipping and pruning LTM studies, reviewing ambulatory EEG, monitoring long-term EEG in the ICU and epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU), annotating EEG records, and writing technical reports (a.k.a. technical descriptions).
Other Skills
Aside from profession-specific knowledge and skills, several other personal traits are required to be a successful NeuroAnalyst. Given that this is a healthcare role, NeuroAnalysts must be dedicated to excellent patient care and able to work well under stressful conditions, which sometimes arise in healthcare. They need great attention to detail, given the importance of quality and accuracy in annotations and reports, must be capable of working independently with minimal indirect supervision, and must have excellent organizational skills. They should also be technology savvy and possess strong computer skills, and effective spoken and written communication is paramount since this role involves leadership and liaising.
