Career Tips & Advice

PSG and NDT: A Comparison

Concorde Staff

Concorde Staff

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Updated November 2, 2016. The information contained in this blog is current and accurate as of this date.
neurodiagnostic technology

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.

Take The Next Step Towards a Brighter Future

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!

  1. Program length may be subject to change dependent on transfer credits and course load. Please refer to current course catalog for more information. Concorde does not guarantee admittance, graduation, subsequent employment or salary amount.

  2. Professional certification is not a requirement for graduation, may not be a requirement for employment nor does it guarantee employment.

  3. Financial aid is available to those who qualify but may not be available for all programs. Concorde does not guarantee financial aid or scholarship awards or amounts.

  4. Clinical hour requirements and delivery may vary by campus location and may be subject to change. Concorde does not guarantee clinical site assignments based upon student preference or geographic convenience; nor do clinical experiences guarantee graduation, post-clinical employment or salary outcomes.

  5. Registration and certification requirements for taking and passing these examinations are not controlled by Concorde, but by outside agencies, and are subject to change by the agency without notice. Therefore, Concorde cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to take these exams, at all or at any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.

  6. Externships are a non-paid in-person learning experience, whose length and location may be subject to change. Concorde does not guarantee externship placement, graduation, post-externship employment or salary outcomes.