The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a blood test for detecting/diagnosing concussions:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today permitted marketing of the first blood test to evaluate mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), commonly referred to as concussion, in adults. The FDA reviewed and authorized for marketing the Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator in fewer than 6 months as part of its Breakthrough Devices Program.
Most patients with a suspected head injury are examined using a neurological scale, called the 15-point Glasgow Coma Scale, followed by a computed tomography or CT scan of the head to detect brain tissue damage, or intracranial lesions, that may require treatment; however, a majority of patients evaluated for mTBI/concussion do not have detectable intracranial lesions after having a CT scan. Availability of a blood test for concussion will help health care professionals determine the need for a CT scan in patients suspected of having mTBI and help prevent unnecessary neuroimaging and associated radiation exposure to patients.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday February 15 2018, @11:00PM (4 children)
FTFY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Friday February 16 2018, @12:35AM (3 children)
It also needs to be fast. If it can be used on the sidelines of comtact sports, within ten or even fifteen minutes, dodgy calls by the coach (or the player themself) will become unnecessary.
We could, well, stop having games where recurrent blows to the head are acceptable, but the paying public seem to want the risk of permanent injury in sports.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday February 16 2018, @12:42AM
It may not be possible - those markers the test is detecting may require some time to reach a detectable concentration.
I'd say this approval is just waiting for the first false negative casualty to trigger a suit.
If it happens, I wonder who will take the brunt of it - the manufacturer or the approver (FDA)?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 3, Interesting) by krishnoid on Friday February 16 2018, @12:46AM (1 child)
Even if it doesn't catch things in-game, I suspect they could add it to any drug testing they do, or to do it between games for all players, to catch cases where a concussion didn't make it to camera. Seems like systematic data on this (or the scent of a cover-up) would start changing things quickly.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Saturday February 17 2018, @10:43PM
Searching for existing concussion data pulled up this study [nih.gov] and this study [nih.gov], but oddly, they were the only ones that popped up right away.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Thursday February 15 2018, @11:35PM (1 child)
There are a few entries on PubMed for blood markers for concussions, but I was wondering if someone knew of one or two that directly related to the approved test.
(Score: 3, Informative) by c0lo on Thursday February 15 2018, @11:47PM
TFA names the "go ahead" beneficiary as "Banyan Biomarkers":
Blood-based diagnostics of traumatic brain injuries [nih.gov] mentions Banyan Biomarkers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by sjames on Friday February 16 2018, @02:45AM (1 child)
Will it actually be cheaper than getting a head CT and if it comes back negative, will doctors be satisfied or will they want you to get a head CT anyway just to be sure?
Will it rule out the need for a head CT often enough to be a net reduction in medical costs?
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Friday February 16 2018, @03:46AM
If it comes back negative (after it's been proven to be a reliable test of course), insurance companies won't pay for a head CT afterwards. Expensive scans have to be pre-approved by insurance, and if they deny it, the doctor has to find something else, or appeal it (or you pay out-of-pocket, but you have to be informed first).