from JAMA Neurology
Nearly a quarter of a million children are
treated each year for sports-related
concussions. But some symptoms of a
concussion or any mild to moderate
traumatic brain injury can be subtle and
often may not show up for several days.
Now researchers at Orlando Health report, in
JAMA Neurology, that a simple blood test is
able to detect evidence of concussions in
patients up to a week after their injury and
could greatly expand the period in which
concussions are diagnosed. The blood test
measures proteins released in the brain
when an injury occurs. Researchers
analyzed nearly six hundred patients for
three years and compared them to brain
scans. The blood test was able to detect
mild to moderate brain injury up to ninetyseven
percent of the time.