Concorde Staff
If you're thinking about comparisons between Polysomnographic Technology (PSG) and Neurodiagnostic Technology (NDT), you're already there. It starts and ends at the brain.
As Concorde students learn daily, Polysomnographic Technology and Neurodiagnostic Technology both deal with studying study of the brain and its functionality ... just different areas. Polysomnographic Technologists perform sleep diagnostics working in conjunction with physicians to provide comprehensive clinical evaluations required for the diagnosis of sleep disorders.
The technologist monitors several various variables in the brain during sleep by applying non-invasive monitoring equipment. The professional realm of this support includes guidance on the use of devices for the treatment of breathing problems during sleep and helping individuals develop sleeping habits that promote good sleep hygiene.
Neurodiagnostic Technologist is the allied health care profession that records, monitors and analyzes nervous system function to promote the effective treatment of pathologic conditions. Technologists record electrical activity arising from the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, somatosensory or motor nerve systems using a variety of techniques and instruments and prepare data and documentation for interpretation by a physician.
Polysomnographic Technology: A study of sleep
The NDT and PSG programs at Concorde both prepare you for a challenging and fulfilling career in health care, said Jeanette Robins, BS RPSGT, PSG Program Director at Concordes campus in Grand Prairie, Texas.
The Polysomnographic Technology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and qualifies the Concorde graduate to sit for their Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologist board exams to become a registered PSG tech. The sleep technician has a wide array of opportunities open to them, including monitoring sleeping patients during daytime and night shifts.
"They learn to apply ancillary leads as well as EEG leads to acquiring data for respiratory disorders, movement disorders and neurological disorders that could occur during sleep and cardiac monitoring," Robins said.
Free-standing sleep centers, medical centers, hospitals, home-care companies, and private physician offices all hire sleep disorder technicians to acquire data, as well as preliminary, interpret the eight-hour recordings for the physician's final interpretation.
Neurodiagnostic Technology: Also all about brain activity
NDT students have the unique opportunity to get their associate's degree from a CAAHEP-approved college as well as study the polysomnography add-on program, Robins said. Students enrolled in NDT also learn about other electrical activity monitoring and can qualify for medical careers in a wide scope including Evoked Potentials, Intraoperative Neuromonitoring, Long-Term Monitoring, Nerve Conduction, and Polysomnography. These students are qualified to sit for their Registered Electroencephalographic Technologist boards and become certified in several other hospital procedures just through this one program.
Next Steps?
Interested in learning more about our Polysomnographic Technology program? We have a Concorde representative ready to talk about what matters most to you. Get answers about start dates, curriculum, financial aid, scholarships and more!
