Neurologic
& Mental Health
Clinical Testing Guide
Uncovering powerful insights — helping
clinicians match the dominant presentation to
the most relevant testing lens.
How Testing from Mosaic Diagnostics
Supports Clinical Insight
Why We Need to Look Deeper
Neurologic and mental health complaints often reflect overlapping biologic patterns rather than a single clear starting point or one single symptom. An integrated testing overview may help clinicians match the dominant presentation to the most relevant testing lens—whether the question is primarily exposure oriented, metabolic, gut-brain, or food-related.
Explore Testing Lenses
When Might Providers Consider
Additional Functional Testing?
Examples of patient presentations may include:
Cognitive Complaints / Brain Fog / Executive Function
Headaches / Migraines
Tremors, Balance Instability
Depression & Anxiety Disorders
Chronic Fatigue
Sleep Disturbances
Parkinson’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease
A structured approach to targeted testing
Match the dominant presentation to the most relevant testing lens — then explore the exact panels that answer the clinical question.
Exposure Oriented
Connection
Concerns about toxins from mold, chemicals, heavy metals, or pesticides
DIG DEEPER
Toxic exposures can impact health through common mechanisms of action like neuroinflammation, neurotransmitter disruption, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress.
WHEN TO TEST
- History of water-damaged building, mold exposure, or occupational chemical contact
- Unexplained multisystem presentation across mood, cognition, and fatigue
- Symptoms follow a known or suspected environmental change
Metabolic Connection
Energy, nutrients & oxidative stress concerns
DIG DEEPER
Across mental health conditions, metabolic contributors may include mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, impaired neurotransmitter synthesis, or nutrient insufficiency.
WHEN TO TEST
- Complex or multi-system presentation with suspected metabolic contributors
- Nutritional deficiency, oxidative stress, or mitochondrial dysfunction is suspected
- Persistent fatigue with no clear structural cause
Gut-Brain Connection
GI issues, microbiome disruption & gut-immune connection
DIG DEEPER
Gut microbiome disruption, intestinal barrier dysfunction, and gut-derived inflammation influence mood, cognition, motor function, immune regulation, and neurodevelopment across mental health conditions.
WHEN TO TEST
- GI symptoms accompany neurologic or mood symptoms
- History of antibiotic use, dietary disruption, or gut illness
- Nausea, early satiety, palpitations, or stress-amplified bowel symptoms with visceral hypersensitivity or heightened anxiety
Food-Related
Connection
Symptoms linked to meals, specific foods, or food sensitivities
DIG DEEPER
When symptoms track with meals, specific foods, or dietary patterns, a shared mechanism is often at work: food-associated gut inflammation, intestinal permeability, and immune activation that may amplify neurologic and mental health conditions.
WHEN TO TEST
- Symptoms worsen after meals or specific foods
- Migraine with suspected dietary triggers
- Patient self-reports “feeling better when avoiding certain foods”
Case Study: From puzzling symptoms to a clear path
The Challenge
- Digestive distress
- Brain fog
- Extreme fatigue
- Heart palpitations
- Tingling in hands
Traditional tests like MRI and EKG couldn’t explain why
The Breakthrough
MosaicDX testing revealed:
- Mycotoxins
- Gut imbalances
- Mitochondrial dysfunction
The Transformation
After targeted treatment:
- Brain fog eliminated
- Energy restored
- Heart palpitations resolved
Dr. William Cole
DC, IFMCP, DNM
“The MycoTOX Profile showed multiple high mycotoxins — including Gliotoxin reporting over 3000 ng/g, with Sterigmatocystin and Aflatoxin M1 also well above acceptable range.”
*Results shared by treating clinician. Individual outcomes may vary.
This webpage is intended for licensed healthcare professionals and is for informational and educational purposes only. The test results are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. All clinical interpretation should be done by a qualified healthcare professional in the context of the individual patient. Statements regarding associations between health symptoms and conditions do not constitute diagnostic claims.
References
- Foster JA, McVey Neufeld KA. Gut-brain axis: how the microbiome influences anxiety and depression. Trends Neurosci. 2013;36(5):305-312.
- Martin CR, Osadchiy V, Kalani A, Mayer EA. The Brain-Gut-Microbiome Axis. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2018;6(2):133-148.
- Madison AA, Kiecolt-Glaser JK. Stressed to the core: inflammation and intestinal permeability in stress-related psychiatric disorders. Biol Psychiatry. 2024;95(8):635-646.
- Costa LG, Aschner M, Vitalone A, Syversen T, Soldin OP. Environmental neurotoxicity: mechanisms and pathophysiology. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 2004;44:87-110.
- Karri V, Schuhmacher M, Kumar V. Heavy metals (Pb, Cd, As and MeHg) as risk factors for cognitive dysfunction: a general review of metal mixture mechanism in brain. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2016;48:203-213.
- Ratnaseelan AM, Tsilioni I, Theoharides TC. Effects of mycotoxins on neuropsychiatric symptoms and immune processes. Clin Ther. 2018;40(6):903-917.
- Atkinson W, Sheldon TA, Shaath N, Whorwell PJ. Food elimination based on IgG antibodies in irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised controlled trial. Gut. 2004;53(10):1459-1464.
- Qian XH, Xu S, Sun L, et al. Mechanisms of short-chain fatty acids derived from gut microbiota in Alzheimer disease. Ageing Res Rev. 2022;78:101612.
- Harding CF, et al. Mold inhalation causes innate immune activation and cognitive and emotional dysfunction. Brain Behav Immun. 2020;87:110-122.
- Alpay K, Ertas M, Orhan EK, Ustay DK, Lieners C, Baykan B. Diet restriction in migraine, based on IgG against foods: a clinical double-blind, randomised, cross-over trial. Cephalalgia. 2010;30(7):829-837.
Not sure which testing path fits your patient?
Our clinical team helps you choose the right panel and interpret results with confidence.