Neurological complications of Lyme disease, also known as Lyme neuroborreliosis, occur when Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria invade the nervous system causing inflammation of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. It is caused by the spread of Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria from an infected tick bite into the central and peripheral nervous systems. The Lyme Disease Antibody with Reflex to Antibodies IgG and IgM Blot is the most important test for diagnosis because it confirms the underlying Lyme infection causing neurological symptoms.
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Neurological complications of Lyme disease are caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria spreading from a tick bite into the nervous system. When these bacteria invade the brain, spinal cord, or peripheral nerves, they trigger inflammation that damages nerve tissue and disrupts normal neurological function. This can happen weeks to months after the initial tick bite, even if the classic bullseye rash was never noticed or if early-stage Lyme disease went untreated.
The Lyme Disease Antibody with Reflex to Antibodies IgG and IgM Blot is the most important test for Lyme neuroborreliosis because it uses a two-tiered approach to detect antibodies your immune system produces against Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. The test first screens for Lyme antibodies, then automatically performs a more specific Western blot if the initial screen is positive, which helps confirm whether your neurological symptoms are related to an active or past Lyme infection. This comprehensive testing approach is essential because it can identify both recent infections (IgM antibodies) and longer-standing infections (IgG antibodies) that may be causing nervous system complications like facial palsy, meningitis, or peripheral neuropathy.
You should get tested if you develop unexplained neurological symptoms after spending time outdoors in Lyme-endemic areas, especially during spring and summer months when ticks are most active. Specific warning signs include sudden facial paralysis or drooping on one side of your face, severe headaches accompanied by neck stiffness, shooting pains or numbness in your arms or legs, memory problems or difficulty concentrating, or dizziness and balance issues. Testing is particularly important if you remember finding a tick on your body or noticed a circular rash weeks before neurological symptoms began, though many people with Lyme neuroborreliosis never recall a tick bite.
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What this means
Your test came back negative, meaning no Lyme disease antibodies were detected in your blood. This is the expected and healthy result, suggesting you have not been infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
Recommended actions
Continue taking preventive measures when outdoors: wear long sleeves, use tick repellent, and do thorough tick checks after hiking
If symptoms persist despite a negative result, consult your doctor as antibodies can take 4-6 weeks to develop after infection
Remove ticks promptly if found, as infection risk increases the longer a tick remains attached
Consider retesting in 4-6 weeks if you had recent tick exposure and continue experiencing suspicious symptoms
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