American scientists have developed a simple blood test to determine if a patient has suffered a concussion.
It is possible that thanks to this discovery, children who have suffered a head injury will not be exposed to radiation anymore, because the diagnostic test will allow to determine whether they suffered a concussion without the current imaging test.
Scientists from the American center Orlando Health in Florida discovered a biomarker released by the brain during an injury. Researchers have noticed that the biomarker is present in the patient’s blood for up to a week – which means that the test will be useful in diagnosing the disorder also in people who have delayed symptoms of concussion.
“The test can be a helpful tool for clinicians to quickly and accurately diagnose trauma in patients, especially children, and provide appropriate care,” said Dr. Linda Papa, an emergency medicine specialist at Orlando Health, who led the study.
– Failure to correctly diagnose, and hence to properly manage the patient, can lead to serious problems in the long run. With such a test at their disposal, doctors won’t have to guess when making a diagnosis, because they just need to check if a specific biomarker is present in the patient’s blood.
Concussion is the most common and least serious brain disorder. It occurs as a result of head trauma, e.g. impact or contusions.
A study published in the journal Jama Neurology shows that during an injury, the brain releases a specific biomarker, the so-called acid filamentous protein (GFAP).
The biomarker crosses the blood-brain barrier and enters the bloodstream, so a simple blood test is enough to confirm its presence.
The researchers, who followed nearly 600 patients over the course of three years, found that a blood test detects mild to moderate traumatic brain changes in adults with an accuracy of 97%.
The test also indicated which patients needed life-saving neurosurgery, the authors of the report said.
“Doctors are trying to minimize CT scans, especially in children who are much more sensitive to radiation and its possible side effects,” adds Dr. Papa. Fortunately, with this simple blood test you can get the same information as a CT scan.
This could completely change the procedure for diagnosing a concussion not only in children, but in all people who have had a head injury.
– We already have so many blood tests for problems in various organs, such as the heart, liver and kidneys, but we have never had an effective blood test for detecting brain injuries. Our test may change that.