Becky,
Sorry for the double posts , but after calming down myself abit about the way that doctor suggested possible ALS based solely only an MRI with no symptoms present .
I went to find some material you might wish to see, on the diagnosis process of ALS.
The source is wilklepedia , and I found it highly accurate in my husbands diagnostic experience - he has ALS -- but his MRI was normal -as this article stated is typical in ALS - as the MRI is used to rule other conditions out as an explanation of symptoms --which in your case you had none as migranes are not a symptom of ALS -- so I would not worry too much about having ALS --if you are concerned I would ask for the immediate referral to an ALS specialist --as that would be the only person qualified to make such a diagnosis -
I am posting the link -- but copied the relevant part--Lisa
Diagnosis
No test can provide a definite diagnosis of ALS, although the presence of upper and lower motor neuron signs in a single limb is strongly suggestive. Instead, the diagnosis of ALS is primarily based on the symptoms and signs the physician observes in the patient and a series of tests to rule out other diseases. Physicians obtain the patient's full medical history and usually conduct a neurologic examination at regular intervals to assess whether symptoms such as muscle weakness, atrophy of muscles, hyperreflexia, and spasticity are getting progressively worse.
Because symptoms of ALS can be similar to those of a wide variety of other, more treatable diseases or disorders, appropriate tests must be conducted to exclude the possibility of other conditions. One of these tests is electromyography (EMG), a special recording technique that detects electrical activity in muscles. Certain EMG findings can support the diagnosis of ALS. Another common test measures nerve conduction velocity (NCV). Specific abnormalities in the NCV results may suggest, for example, that the patient has a form of peripheral neuropathy (damage to peripheral nerves) or myopathy (muscle disease) rather than ALS. The physician may order magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a noninvasive procedure that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to take detailed images of the brain and spinal cord. Although these MRI scans are often normal in patients with ALS, they can reveal evidence of other problems that may be causing the symptoms, such as a spinal cord tumor, multiple sclerosis, a herniated disk in the neck, syringomyelia, or cervical spondylosis.
Based on the patient's symptoms and findings from the examination and from these tests, the physician may order tests on blood and urine samples to eliminate the possibility of other diseases as well as routine laboratory tests. In some cases, for example, if a physician suspects that the patient may have a myopathy rather than ALS, a muscle biopsy may be performed.
Infectious diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV), Lyme disease, syphilis[14] and tick-borne encephalitis [15]viruses can in some cases cause ALS-like symptoms. Neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, post-polio syndrome, multifocal motor neuropathy, and spinal muscular atrophy also can mimic certain facets of the disease and should be considered by physicians attempting to make a diagnosis. There have been documented cases of a patient presenting with ALS-like symptoms, having a positive Lyme titer, and responding to antibiotics. [16]. Lyme disease is particularly difficult to diagnose.
Because of the prognosis carried by this diagnosis and the variety of diseases or disorders that can resemble ALS in the early stages of the disease, patients should always obtain a second neurological opinion.
A study by researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine identified three proteins that are found in significantly lower concentration in the cerebral spinal fluid of patients with ALS than in healthy individuals. This finding was published in the February 2006 issue of Neurology. Evaluating the levels of these three proteins proved 95% accurate for diagnosing ALS. The three protein markers are TTR, cystatin C, and the carboxyl-terminal fragment of neuroendocrine protein 7B2). These are the first biomarkers for this disease and may be first tools for confirming diagnosis of ALS. With current methods, the average time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis is around 12 months. Improved diagnostic markers may provide a means of early diagnosis, allowing patients to receive relief from symptoms years earlier. [17]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amyotro...eral_sclerosis