A simple blood test for serious concussion may be on the horizon, according to researchers at Glasgow University, UK.
Dr Willie Stewart, together with colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, are working on a test because the signs of concussion can be subtle, making diagnosis hard.
Some patients will also suffer long-term symptoms such as memory problems.
In previous research, the team found that high blood levels of a brain protein called alpha II-spectrin N-terminal fragment is linked to greater problems in recovery. Their new work has taken this further by examining the origins and effects of this protein.
It is made in damaged nerve fibres deep in the brain, they explain, in a condition known as diffuse axonal injury. This form of injury cannot be seen on standard brain scans because concussed brains rarely show bleeding, bruising or other obvious abnormalities. But microscopic examination of the brain in severe and fatal traumatic brain injury cases often shows numerous swollen, degenerating, and even fully disconnected axons throughout the white matter.
This type of damage may occur to a lesser extent in concussion, the researchers believe. Details of the study were published on 20 November in the journal Acta Neuropathologica.
"This represents a major step forward towards developing a biologically plausible blood test that could be used to detect concussion and direct injury management," says Dr Stewart.
Such a test could allow doctors to diagnose concussion and to predict those that might have prolonged symptoms, he said.
Johnson, V. E. et al. SNTF immunostaining reveals previously undetected axonal pathology in traumatic brain injury. Acta Neuropathologica 20 November 2015 doi: 10.1007/S00401-015-1506-0PAGES: 1-21
Leave a Reply