According to the LA Times http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-blood-test-concussion-20131119,0,6400839.story#axzz2lCly7M1M there may have been a development in blood testing that can now test for a concussion. Aprotein called calpain-cleaved alphaII-spectrinproteolytic (known as SNTF) fragment may be released into the blood stream as a neuron breaks down. When neurons break down or die the result is brain injury or brain damage. Will this detect the severity of brain damage? The answer is no.
Even though this blood test may show that there is brain injury the severity can’t be known for at least one day after the head trauma. Neurons may break down over time that will increase the severity of brain injury. We talk about this in our brain anatomy pages. To get a full description of a neuron and its function click here. (http://braininjuryhelp.com/neuron-core-brain-cell/)
A study done by the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, the Houston Veterans Administration Medical Center and Texas Children’s Hospital tested 17 patience after head trauma and 13 with orthopedic trauma. The study showed that compared to the same number of healthy people, those with elevated SNTF were still experiencing cognitive problems after a three months period of time. This is a definite sign of brain injury.
Technology has come a long way when it comes to detecting brain injury. There have been advances made with MRI’s, CT scans and DTI’s. When detecting Mild Brain Injury the imaging devices now available may not be as advanced as needed. To fully understand imaging devices click here.(http://braininjuryhelp.com/post-concussion-neuroimaging-advances/) If the new blood test to check for the “biomarker” and the presence of SNTF works and if it is administered after someone suffers a blow to the head or trauma to the head that can cause brain injury, the early detection can help the chance or full recovery and the time it takes to recover.
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