Blood test For Concussion with 90% Accuracy

December 01, 2016, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

A new blood test developed in London has been shown to be 90% accurate in the identification of concussion in humans. According to the reports on CBC a single drop of human blood contains the evidence to establish the presence of concussion in most cases.

Concussion occurs when the brain is jiggled inside the skull causing microtears in some cases and some swelling. Neural pathways are disrupted and depending on the individual and the severity of the concussion symptoms can be barely evident or severe.

Until now, concussion has been difficult to diagnose in many cases. The diagnosis to date involved medical imaging and physiological testing. Often victims of concussion, especially minor ones, have not been diagnosed at all which is extremely dangerous and can have long term impacts if another concussion is sustained. This new test represents the ‘Holy Grail’ of the research according to Dr. Douglas Fraser at Children’s Hospital in London.

Dr. Fraser’s team determined that there are chemical fingerprints in the blood when a concussion occurs, and the fingerprints are present in 90% of cases, and are easy to detect. So easy in fact that it can be done with a simple blood test similar to the one used by diabetics to test their blood sugar levels. He hopes that with the commercial interest being shown that there can be advancements made in the size and portability of the testing machines and process making it easy to test at the arena, slope side, emergency department or on the battlefield. The test currently costs about $100, but should drop to about $40 once it is widely available. This places it in the same price range as other blood tests.

About Deutschmann Law

Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.

The opinions expressed here, while intended to provide useful information, should not be interpreted as legal recommendations or advice.