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A football head injury or a fall over a staircase occurred quickly. As a rule of thumb, the medical badessment of whether the affected people have suffered a concussion lasts much longer. Genevan researchers are currently developing a blood test that should help it go faster. The test should be ready for the market in 2019.
12:12, July 30, 2018
A single drop of blood is sufficient to diagnose mild traumatic brain injury within ten minutes, according to a statement from the University of Geneva. The rapid test inspired pregnancy tests was developed by Jean-Charles Sanchez, professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Geneva, in collaboration with Spanish colleagues. They exploited the fact that the concentration of certain proteins in the blood increases after a slight brain injury. Because if a blow to the brain cells' heads are damaged, these proteins release. Scientists compared protein levels in the blood of patients undergoing hospital treatment for mild traumatic brain injury. For some of them, computed tomography (CT) examination was negative. In other patients, however, confirmed the suspicion of craniocerebral trauma.
Four molecules show brain damage
Both groups differed in their blood levels, as the researchers report in the newspaper "PlosOne". Scientists identified four molecules that indicated brain damage: H-FABP, Interleukin-10, S100B, and GFAP. "We found that H-FABP alone helps confirm in a third of patients that they are not at risk of trauma," Sanchez said in a press release. For patients, this means: If a line appears after ten minutes on the test called TBIcheck, the person concerned must go to a hospital to confirm the nature of the brain injury by CT. If the test field remains empty the patient can return safely home
Long examinations at the hospital and the radiation dose of the CT are spared him. According to Sanchez, the development opens up new possibilities for quick checks after an accident like a boxing match or a football match. There, the result of the test could decide if a player can continue safely. But even in remote areas, such as after a climbing accident, the test could for example be used in a family doctor's office. From 2019 it will be marketed by a start-up
The research group is already working to improve the test by combining the values H-FABP and GFAP. This should give the half of the victims a hint of brain injury. Every year, three million people in Europe with symptoms of mild brain injury are admitted to hospitals. They suffer from visual disturbances, vomiting or temporary fainting. However, only ten percent of them confirmed suspicion after CT examination.
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