And findings from standard allergy tests are often normal in MCS patients. The test clinical ecologists consider paramount is called provocation-neutralization. During this procedure, the patient is asked to report any symptoms that develop after various substances under suspicion have been placed under the tongue or injected into the skin. If the patient reports symptoms, the test is considered positive, and the substance considered causal is administered in various concentrations until the symptoms are neutralized. In addition, the clinical ecologist may prescribe other substances, such as hormones and food extracts, as neutralizing agents.
Neutralization superficially resembles the desensitization process that allergists use.
In contrast, clinical ecologists base their diagnostic and treatment decisions on subjective responses. Many use tests are related to immune function or to exposure to specific chemicals. Samples of blood, urine, body fat and hair may be tested for various environmental chemicals. Some of these tests lack both standardization and a protocol that has proved reliable. Some treatments are based on blood tests that detect chemicals in concentrations of parts per billion.