Concussion Diagnosis: Blood Test Detects Mild Brain Injury Without The Use Of Scans

One of the worst things about undergoing scans is the radiation exposure. Fortunately, people who bang or hit their head might not need to undergo these scans anymore. Not only that, but the discovery also comes in handy for children involved in contact sports like football. Thanks to a simple blood test, we might have an easier and more convenient concussion diagnosis method in the future.

This easy brain injury diagnosis was discovered by a research team from Orlando Health and it involves looking for a biomarker in the blood released when there is a concussion, Telegraph reports. This biomarker is called glial fibrillary acidic protein and it can remain in a person's bloodstream for up to seven days.

"Physicians really want to minimize the amount of computerized tomography (CT) scans in patients, especially children, who are a lot more sensitive to radiation and the side effects that can come with it," Dr. Linda Papa shared with Telegraph. Dr. Papa added that the simple blood test could dramatically change brain injury diagnosis in children and adults alike.

#DYK that mild traumatic brain injury is also known as a concussion? https://t.co/Egn6nhihmL @USAFHealth #TBI pic.twitter.com/4zRJoba0dP

— U.S. Air Force (@usairforce) March 23, 2016

The research is published in the journal called JAMA Neurology. It involved the study of about 600 patients for a period of three years. The researchers found that the blood test is accurate for more than 90 percent of the adult patients.

Parents are encouraged to take their kids to a doctor for a concussion diagnosis if they hit their head during an incident. Some of the brain injury symptoms include unconsciousness, memory loss, confusion, disorientation, headaches, dizziness, blurry vision, nausea, vomiting, ringing sounds, moodiness, personality changes, sleep pattern changes and difficulty speaking, according to Alzheimer's Association.

The brain injury symptoms depend on the level of severity. A mild traumatic brain injury is known as a concussion, which causes unconsciousness for 30 minutes or less. A moderate traumatic brain injury involves unconsciousness that lasts for more than 30 minutes, while a severe traumatic brain injury involves unconsciousness of more than 24 hours.