The primary purpose of the WCNS is to promote research and to further the understanding of knowledge in clinical neurophysiology and related fields of interest between the investigators in these fields; and to maintain high scientific standards of clinical neurophysiology laboratories.

Incorporated in 1946 as the Western EEG Society, WCNS has offered an annual meeting for physicians and basic scientists to meet and discuss advances in the field of EEG. In 2000, the name of the society name was changed to the Western Clinical Neurophysiology Society to reflect the addition of other neurophysiologic procedures as well as advances in the treatment of epilepsy.