Australian researchers develop blood test to detect concussion in older adults

MELBOURNE, May 31 — Researchers in Australia have developed a blood test that could help diagnose concussion in people aged over 60, a group at highest risk of serious outcomes from head injuries, reported Xinhua.

The study found that levels of a protein known as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in blood plasma were elevated in patients aged 60 to 84 who had sustained a concussion, said a statement released yesterday by Australia’s Monash University.

Concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury, is a growing public health concern, especially among older adults, where diagnosis is complicated by overlapping ageing symptoms, such as memory loss, fatigue and poor concentration, and difficulty recalling injuries, it said.

Researchers said the GFAP biomarker offers “an objective and reliable measure” that could improve diagnostic accuracy, and the blood test could eventually be used in hospitals, clinics and by first responders.

“There is a lot of ambiguity in the way the diagnostic process works currently, and doctors often rely on information reported by patients themselves, which comes with all sorts of bias,” said Gershon Spitz, senior research fellow at the Monash School of Psychological Sciences.

Cognitive issues such as loss of consciousness or memory loss can make it difficult for patients to clearly recall events needed for diagnosis, said Spitz, lead author of the study published in Jama Network Open.

Emergency physician Professor Biswadev Mitra at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne said for older patients at risk of falls, earlier detection in emergency settings could help “mitigate risk of subsequent falls and improve patient outcomes.” — Bernama-Xinhua

المصدر: Malay Mail