For decades , the gold standard for diagnose concussions was noting symptoms — loss of consciousness , dizziness , and freak out — and performing CT scans to see for obvious signs of forcible damage . But if a Florida - orbit emergency way MD is correct , that diagnosing procedure may soon include blood test .
In a study published earlier this workweek inJAMA Neurology , top investigator Linda Papa presented the results of nearly 600 examination conducted in an Orlando medical facility from March 2010 to March 2014 . About half of the subjects were suffering from concussion or concussion symptom ; others were being treat for ill unrelated to the brain . Papa and her team took blood at steady interval from each group for seven days to measure levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein ( GFAP ) and ubiquitin C - terminal hydrolase L1 ( UCH - L1 ) , two protein that are believed to accede the blood after cranial trauma . The researchers found that elevated levels of the protein were prognosticative of mild to moderate traumatic brainpower injury , traumatic intracranial lesions , and neurosurgical interventions . While UCH - L1 peaked in first couple of days after a forefront injury , GFAP was an effective indicant of a brain trauma — or a aesculapian response — for a full hebdomad .
Because sign of the zodiac of concussion are not always present on radiographic imagination , having a defined marker for accidental injury to the brain could one 24-hour interval contribute to keeping concuss athlete out of action until they heal . Papa is consult with Banyan Biomarkers , Inc. , a aesculapian equipment society , on aportable station that could correspond for the protein on the spot . Doing so could lead to early diagnosis that might prevent patients from nurture any further trauma . For minor , the blood test diagnostic couldhelp trammel the use of CTA scansand therefore avoid radiotherapy exposure .
[ h / tTime ]
