FDA approves new blood test that could help diagnose concussions
- 6 years ago
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration approved a blood test last Wednesday to help detect concussions in adults.
The Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator test looks for two biomarker proteins UCH-L1 and GFAP, which are released upon injury to the brain and pass through the blood-brain barrier, CNN reported.
Elevated protein levels can be detected within 15 to 20 minutes of injury. The test can be administered within 12 hours of injury, and takes about three to four hours for results.
Currently, patients are diagnosed with a concussion based on a combination of symptoms as well as imaging.
CT scans can problematic in that they don't always detect concussion, have 200 times the radiation of a chest x-ray and are expensive.
A CT scan can cost anywhere from $800 to $1,500 compared to the new test which would cost $150.
The FDA estimates that by using the new blood test, imaging scans can be reduced by at least a third in patients who are suspected of having a concussion.
The Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator test looks for two biomarker proteins UCH-L1 and GFAP, which are released upon injury to the brain and pass through the blood-brain barrier, CNN reported.
Elevated protein levels can be detected within 15 to 20 minutes of injury. The test can be administered within 12 hours of injury, and takes about three to four hours for results.
Currently, patients are diagnosed with a concussion based on a combination of symptoms as well as imaging.
CT scans can problematic in that they don't always detect concussion, have 200 times the radiation of a chest x-ray and are expensive.
A CT scan can cost anywhere from $800 to $1,500 compared to the new test which would cost $150.
The FDA estimates that by using the new blood test, imaging scans can be reduced by at least a third in patients who are suspected of having a concussion.