Neural Zoomer Plus

How to order if you are a Patient: Thank you for your interest in our testing. Since all our testing must be ordered by a licensed health care practitioner, please have your current healthcare provider contact us so we can set them up with a Vibrant account.

How to order if you are a Provider: If you are a current Vibrant client, please contact support@vibrant-wellness.com or call your local Territory Sales Manager.

If you don’t have an account with Vibrant Wellness, please fill out a Client Application form to get started.

Interest in Provider Account My Vibrant Health Login

An expanded test to detect 48 of the most common autoantibodies associated with neurological autoimmunity and cognitive decline

Order Test

Details About the Test

The Neural Zoomer^TM Plus is an array of neurological autoantibodies which offers very specific antibody-to-antigen recognition. The Vibrant Neural Zoomer^TM Plus is designed to assess an individual’s reactivity to 48 neurological antigens, which may have connections to a variety of neurologically related diseases.

With a panel of 48 of the most well-studied neurological autoantibodies, the Neural Zoomer^TM Plus is able to guide providers in treatment protocols by pinpointing the mechanisms behind disease progression and providing a roadmap to solutions and improved health outcomes in this challenging arena of disease.
The test also has optional additional genetic testing for the ApoE genotype, which has been shown to influence risk for certain neurological conditions.

The Vibrant Neural Zoomer^TM Plus aims to reduce the prevalence of neurological conditions by empowering patients and physicians with a vital resource for early risk detection and an enhanced focus on personalized primary prevention.

By including the Vibrant Neural Zoomer^TM Plus in their arsenal of available autoimmune and neurological tests, healthcare providers can arm themselves with the most advanced and relevant test available to assess the presence and risk of neurological autoimmunity.

The Neural Zoomer^TM Plus is also the comprehensive compilation of multiple research studies which have identified autoantibodies associated with a range of neurological disorders, enabling early risk detection and prevention of neurological degeneration.

Not Available in New York state
Only healthcare providers licensed in their state may order laboratory testing.

*Vibrant Wellness does not participate in, take assignment, or accept any private insurance. We do not provide super bills and cannot assist with claim resolution for laboratory tests or consultations.

Markers Measured

The Vibrant Neural Zoomer^TM includes a comprehensive set of autoimmune markers, from a single serum draw including:

Demyelination Antigens

Anti-Tubulin

Associated with alcoholic liver disease, demyelinating disease, Grave’s disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, infectious agent exposure PANDAS/ANDAS/OCD, rheumatoid arthritis, and recent onset type 1 diabetes.

Anti-Myelin basic protein

Related to the risk for multiple sclerosis, autism, PANDAS/ANDAS/OCD, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Anti-Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)

Found in various demyelinating diseases, including multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD), idiopathic optic neuritis (ON), acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), multiphasic disseminated encephalomyelitis (MDEM), Devic’s disease, and tumefactive demyelinating disease.

Anti-Myelin proteolipid protein

A useful marker in patients with seronegative anti-myelin basic protein, the frequent marker in active multiple sclerosis and optic neuritis.

Anti-Neurofascin

Found mainly in combined central and peripheral demyelination (CCPD), a rare demyelinating condition affecting both CNS and peripheral nervous system (PNS) tissues, and also in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and axonal injury in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Anti-MAG

Anti-MAG peripheral neuropathy is a very rare disease caused by anti-MAG antibodies that destroy MAG protein leading to disruptions of normal myelin production and healthy peripheral nerve activity.

Blood Brain Barrier Disruption

Anti-s100b

Blood brain barrier integrity breach and sub-concussive episodes lead to the production of this antibody. Extravasated s100B may trigger a pathologic autoimmune reaction linking systemic and CNS immune responses.

Anti-Glial fibrillary acidic protein

Anti-GFAP is produced when the protein enters the bloodstream after a rupture of the blood brain barrier, thus serves as a blood based diagnostic marker of brain injury.

Anti-Microglia

Indicate a destruction of the blood brain barrier and are found to play a role in tissue destruction of Alzheimer’s disease.

Anti-Glucose regulated protein 78

Glucose-regulated protein 78–targeted antibodies could instigate bloodbrain barrier breakdown and development of hallmark anti–aquaporin-4 autoantibody pathology.

Optical and Autonomic Nervous System Disorders

Anti-Neuron specific enolase

Antibodies against neuron specific enolase are found in patients with optical neuropathies.

Anti-Aquaporin 4

AQP4 IgG is involved in the development of neuromyelitis optica and revolutionized the understanding of the disease. Anti-Aquaporin4 antibodies have also been shown in patients with peripheral demyelination.

Anti-Recoverin

One of the key components of antibody disorders of the CNS. They have also been shown to be associated with retinopathy which is characterized by impaired vision and photosensitivity.

Anti-CV2

Seen in autoimmune paraneoplastic autonomic neuropathy and mixed axonal and demyelinating peripheral neuropathy

Peripheral Neuropathy

Anti-GM1

Associated with multi-focal motor neuropathy and lower motor neuropathy, characterized by muscle weakness and atrophy

Anti-GM2

A potential peripheral nerve antigen for neuropathy-associated autoantibodies

Anti-Hu

The most frequent manifestation of sensory neuropathy with frequent autonomic involvement

Anti-Ri

Can be detected in patients with the paraneoplastic opsoclonus/myoclonus syndrome. Neoplasms most often associated with anti-Ri include breast cancer, gynecological cancers, and small cell lung cancer.

Anti-Amphiphysin

Often found in the serum of patients with stiff-person syndrome

Neuromuscular disorders

Anti-Acetylcholine receptors

Found in myasthenia gravis disease which destroys the receptor function, leading to a neuromuscular transmission defect, which then causes hypofunction, fatigue, and inflammation of skeletal muscles and produces serum antibodies against muscle antigens

Anti-Muscle specific kinase

An important marker in patients without anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies in myasthenia gravis disease

Anti-Voltage gated calcium channels

Responsible for Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), a rare autoimmune disorder of the neuromuscular junction

Anti-Voltage gated potassium channels

Downregulate the potassium channels expressed on the peripheral nerve terminal leading to nerve hyperexcitability

Anti-Titin

Present in 70–90% of thymoma autoimmune myasthenia gravis (MG) patients, and in approximately 50% of late-onset acetylcholine-MG patients without thymoma

Brain Autoimmunity

Anti-Purkinje cell

Autoimmunity to a class of GABAergic neurons located in the cerebellum, which can produce abnormalities and decline in gross motor functions

Anti-Yo

Suggest that a patient with neurologic symptoms has a paraneoplastic syndrome. In addition, their presence also often suggests the nature of the underlying tumor.

Anti-Amyloid beta (25-35)

Levels of autoantibodies reacting with oligomers of the short, neurotoxic fragment Aβ (25-35) are significantly higher in AD patients than in healthy controls

Anti-Amyloid beta (1-42)

A signature marker in Alzheimer’s disease

Anti-RAGE peptide

Found in Alzheimer’s disease patients, and particularly higher in AD patients with diabetes

Anti-Tau

Found in the neurofibrillary tangles in brains of individuals who have Alzheimer’s disease

Anti-Glutamate

Found in epilepsy, encephalitis, cerebellar ataxia, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and neuropsychiatric SLE, Sjogren’s syndrome, schizophrenia, mania or stroke

Anti-Dopamine

Associated with movement disorders characterized by parkinsonism, dystonia, and Sydenham chorea

Anti-Hydroxytryptamine

Found mainly in autoimmune encephalitis

Anti-Alpha-synuclein

Mainly elevated in Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease

Anti-α1 and β2 adrenergic receptors

Found mainly in patients with different dementia forms such as unclassified, Lewy body, vascular, and Alzheimer’s dementia

Anti-Endothelin A receptor

Found in vascular dementia

Brain Inflammation

Anti-NMDA receptor

Found in anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis

Anti-AMPA receptor

May play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, characterized by decreased AMPA activation and synapse loss

Anti-Dopamine receptors

Associated with Parkinson’s disease and other disorders of low dopamine status

Anti-GABA receptors

Associated with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Huntington’s disease (HD) and other neurodegenerative disorders that involve disruptions in gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) signaling

Anti-Dipeptidyl aminopeptidase-like protein 6

Associated with encephalitis

Anti-Glycine receptor

Helpful in the diagnosis of patients with symptoms and signs that include ocular motor and other brainstem dysfunction, hyperekplexia, stiffness, rigidity, myoclonus and spasms

Anti-Neurexin 3

Associated with a severe but potentially treatable encephalitis in which the antibodies cause a decrease of neurexin-3α and alter synapse development

Anti-Contactin-associated protein-like 2

Diseases associated with CNTNAP2 include Pitt-Hopkins-Like Syndrome 1 and Autism 15

Anti-Leucine-rich glioma-inactivated protein 1

LGI1 antibody–associated encephalitis has increasingly been recognized as a primary autoimmune disorder

Anti-Ma

Present in men with testicular tumors and isolated or combined limbic encephalitis (LE), diencephalic encephalitis (DE), or brainstem encephalitis (BE)

Infections

Anti-HSV-1

HSV-1 has been reported to have a pathogenesis role in Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) and seropositivity to HSV-1 antibodies has been correlated with increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease

Anti-HSV-2

Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is a disorder commonly associated with HSV-2. HSE due to HSV-2 may occur without meningitis features. Antibodies against HSV-2 have shown positive correlation in patients with symptoms of HSE.

Anti-EBV

Antibodies against the EBV nuclear antigen complex (EBNAc) and EBNA-1 have been correlated with increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Anti-CMV

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections have been reported frequently to be associated with Guillain–Barre syndrome (GBS). There is a potential for molecular mimicry between GM2 and antigens induced by CMV infection.

Anti-HHV-6

Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) is frequently associated with neurologic diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy, encephalitis, and febrile illness.

Anti-HHV-7

HHV-7 has been less frequently associated with CNS disease than HHV-6, but found to be associated with encephalitis, meningitis, and demyelinating conditions. Similar to HHV 6A, increased levels of HHV-7 were found in multiple brain regions in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients.

Anti-Streptococcal A

Anti-streptococcal A antibodies are shown to cross react with different brain proteins that could lead to neuropsychiatric symptoms including PANDAS characterized by pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and tic disorder, and Sydenham Chorea.

Symptoms

Symptoms associated with autoimmunity in the nervous system include:

Cognitive decline
Memory loss
Ataxia
Balance problems
Neuropathy
Alzheimer’s disease
Multiple sclerosis
Encephalitis
Muscle spasms
Huntington’s disease
Epilepsy

Parkinson’s disease
Dementia
Myasthenia gravis
Muscle stiffness/rigidity
Optical decline
Neuromyelitis optica
History of concussion
Autism
PANDAS/ANDAS/OCD
Demyelinating diseases

FAQs

Can I use the Neural Zoomer^TM Plus in the pediatric population?

It is important to note that Vibrant Neural Zoomer^TM Plus has been validated in the adult population only. While we encourage and utilize this test in pediatric patients, there is a potential for false negatives in this population, as the reference ranges are established for adults.

A child’s immune system develops over time. They may not have “mature enough” immunoglobulins to mount a significant antibody response. Pediatric reference ranges for total immunoglobulin IgA, IgG, and IgM are much lower than adult reference ranges. Positive/reactive antigens on a pediatric test does indicate sensitivity, but a non-reactive test in the pediatric population could potentially be a false negative. In other words, there is a possibility that the Neural Zoomer^TM Plus test may not discover a child’s immune response to those neurological antigens tested. It is important to assess a pediatrics baseline immunoglobulin response by measuring total immunoglobulins. Total IgG and total IgA are available on the Vibrant Wheat Zoomer^TM.

How are reference ranges for the Vibrant Neural Zoomer^TM Plus determined?

Vibrant has given a numerical value to quantify the antibodies measured by chemiluminescent signal of our microchip. The determination of the positive cutoff is by 97.5 percentile of 192 normal healthy controls. If you are above 97.5 percentile, you are considered positive. If 5% below cutoff (92.5-97.5 percentile), results are borderline. Less than 92.5 percentile, results are negative.

Should I do this test if I have had a concussion previously?

Yes! Post-concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a good reason to run this test. The Vibrant Neural Zoomer^TMPlus measures markers of blood brain barrier permeability that are associated with disruption to the blood brain barrier (BBB), which can often occur after concussion or TBI. The Neural Zoomer^TM Plus can show an increase in anti-neuron specific enolase antibodies, which are associated with optical neuropathies or traumatic brain injury (TBI).

When should I run the Neural Zoomer^TM on a patient?

Anyone with symptoms of autoimmunity in the nervous system, such as neuropathic pain, MS, ataxia, brain fog, memory loss, etc, would benefit from the Neural Zoomer^TM Plus. Because many of these conditions are related to celiac, and wheat and gluten enteropathies, it is best run after a Wheat Zoomer^TM to check for intestinal permeability as well celiac and wheat/gluten sensitivity.

What is the difference between the Neural Zoomer and the Neural Zoomer Plus?

Below is a comparison table which includes antibodies tested on each test:

Neural Zoomer

Demyelination Antigens

Anti-Tubulin
Anti-Myelin basic protein

Blood Brain Barrier Disruption

Anti-s100b

Optical and Autonomic nervous system disorder

Anti-Neuron specific enolase

Peripheral Neuropathy

Anti-GM1
Anti-GM2

Neuromuscular disorders

Brain Autoimmunity

Anti- HSV1
Anti-Cerebellum
Anti- Purkinje cell

Brain Inflammation

Neural Genetics (optional add-on)

Apolipoprotein E

Infections