New blood test may help diagnose concussions

A new blood test might help diagnose sports-related brain injuries like concussion and determine when the wounded are fit to play, according to media report Friday. Dr. Pashtun Shahim, who is the leader of the study from Sweden, studied 28 injured Swedish ice hockey players with his team. The team detected a rise in the blood level of the protein total-tau (t-tau) in the players in the period immediately following a diagnosed concussion compared to players without concussion. T-tau, a type of protein released when the brain is injured, is key to diagnosing a concussion and predicting when players can get back into the game. “We have a biomarker that is elevated in the blood of players with a concussion," said Dr. Shahim. "The level of T-tau within the first hour after concussion correlates with the number of days you have symptoms. We can use this biomarker to both diagnose concussion and to monitor the course of concussion until the patient is free of symptoms," he added. Dr. Shahim also pointed out that, due to the fact that there were only 28 hockey players take part in the study, the findings need to be reproduced in larger trials. He speculates the test will cost a few more years until it is officially utilized in clinical practice.