--that Liza Jane set up those testing charts, and asked so many of us to contribute to them, is so hopefully fewer people in the future will be in Alan's (and so many other people's) position when experiencing neurological symptoms; too many doctors just order the tests they are familiar/comfortable with, and if these do not turn up anything that stands out . . .

With the charts though, the knowledge of many different specialties (and many different patients) is conveniently accessible, and there to be suggested and discussed.

Neurological symptoms can be caused by SO many things that perhaps it's not surprising that most doctors, even most neurologists, aren't aware of many of the causes and of the many different types of tests that can be tried. (The first three neurologists I consulted were not even aware of the connection between gluten sensitivity/celiac and neuropathy, for example.)
One would think they could learn--they have at least as much access to the info as their patients, one would assume--but many have little inventive to beyond the minimal requirements of continuing medical education credits.

Yes, it's damned stupid that no one suggested a spinal tap for Alan earlier. They probably didn't suggest looking for serum autoantibodies specific to peripheral nerve, either. And I bet no one ever suggested a polymerase chain reaction assay to check for a low-grade chronic infection, probably because he didn't have a fever or swollen glands and they didn't associate such a possibility with neural symptoms.

I do wonder, though, if a lot of this has to do with the possibility of insurance balking at extensive testing. I know when I started, my insurance balked at some requests. By that point, though, I knew to flood them with relevant Pub Med and other articles on the possibility my symptoms could have certain etiologies, and they relented every time. Insurance companies hope people go away when turned down, and generally don't have the stomach for a determined fighter who'll talk about it all over the Internet and make them look like Scrooge.

In essence, one has to hope one has--or specifically locates--doctors who are very well-versed in the field and are up to date on the research; they are generally at research hospitals or centers. The bad news comes when one lives far away from such places, or has no insured access to them.