Blood test to detect concussion is found by scientists
- Mar 30, 2016
- EmmaArnold
Scientists in the USA have found a simple blood test which can detect whether or not someone has suffered concussion.
This means that patients, particularly children, who bang their heads may not need to undergo scans to determine if they have suffered the mild brain injury.
The scans, which expose the individual to radiation, will then be avoided and the patient is diagnosed quickly, which is key.
Concussion can often present delayed symptoms, which may not initially show on examination, which means concussion is hard to diagnose.
Anne Logan, Solicitor at PotterReesDolan, said:
It is important concussion is spotted early on so that any ongoing symptoms can be monitored and treated as appropriate.
After a head injury, it is possible to suffer what is known as Post Concussional Syndrome the symptoms of which include fatigue, poor concentration, poor memory, disturbance of language function, difficulties with sequencing and altered personality.
Scientists discovered the diagnosis when they found a biomaker (an acidic protein) which is released by the brain when injured.
This biomaker then passes the blood-brain barrier and enters the bloodstream where it is detected by the test.
Read our blog post Concussion: what it is and why we should take it more seriously to find out more information on concussion.