FDA announces approval for first blood test to detect concussions

Posted On: 02/19/2018

The FDA has approved a blood test that can detect concussion. Up until now, there was no objective test to determine if someone suffered a concussion. A CT only determines if someone has had a moderate to severe brain injury. The definition of concussion is that there is a jolt or hit to the head, but nothing shows up on a CT, yet a person is experiencing neurological symptoms. Also, CTs are expensive and emit 200x the radiation of a chest X-ray. Now with this test, someone can be tested within 10-15 min. of the incident or up to 12 hours after. It is expected that someday there will be a version of this assessment tool that can be administered on the sidelines or in the field of combat. Find out more in the link below.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/14/health/concussion-blood-test-fda-bn/index.html