Researchers are constantly looking to improve how concussions are diagnosed and treated. Recently, a team of researchers from Brown University revealed they have found a promising new way to diagnose a concussion - by studying biomarkers in the blood.
The new concussion research
The new science behind distinguishing concussion diagnosis and treatment is still undergoing research by many top researchers and doctors across the globe. The main reason for this is that until recently the only way to diagnose a patient with a concussion was limited to subjective measures.
Biomarkers in the blood determine how to diagnose and treat concussions
However, a new study from Brown University demonstrates an objective way to treat concussions; by reviewing proteins produced by the body after injury. These proteins may display certain biomarkers in the blood, which provide doctors with a tangible way to determine how to diagnose and treat varying types of concussions.
Team lead, Adam Chodobski, associate professor (research) of emergency medicine in the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, explains how their research differs; "Our approach was very different, we wanted to look at proteins that are produced in response to injury and then appear in the circulation."
Four detectable blood proteins appear after injury
According to Chodobski, there are four prominently detectable blood proteins in the body that appear after injury that can help determine the course of concussion treatment. Their team was able to identify changes in the levels that these four proteins produced in the blood, which resulted in establishing a testing mechanism. (Source: Brown University)
Chodobski and team's research findings are remarkable; allowing doctors to determine appropriate treatment faster and objectively, will positively impact those who sustain concussions.
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