Ann McKee at Boston University School of Medicine examines the donated brains of former professional athletes to understand howrepeated school principal injuriesaffect the brain . Her findings about pro - athletes — like Tom McHale , who die at age 45 due to chronic traumatic brain disorder , triggered by multiple concussions — has determine the novel NFL ruling on concussion . Until 2009 , players could play after support a foreland injury as long as they did n’t lose consciousness . Since then , player can not play if they show signs such as dizziness , headaches , memory reversion , and an unfitness to call back plays .
But medico know that these signs — and diagnostic imagining — don’t always indicate concussions and athletes ( and others ) might continue normal action with soft concussions . A unexampled blood test might make it easier for doc to find pass wound .
U.S. Army research worker , with married person at Banyan Biomarkers , have organize a simple blood test to specify a concussion . The test await for proteins , SBDP145 and BSDP120 , which alluvion the bloodstream after axons ( the neuron ’s tails , which care in conduct electric messages ) break . The test also detects UcH - L1 , which indicates cell legal injury , and MAP-2 , which oozes out following dendrite injuries ( dendrite are subdivision - like projections , aiding in electrochemical stimulation ) .
Army Col . Dallas Hack , MD , managed the inquiry of this biomarker test , which accurately diagnosed 34 people with concussions . After the researcher finished the roue test , the preformed traditional imagining psychometric test , confirming the mild brain harm . Doctors sometimes miss mild concussion because signs do n’t appear on X - ray and patients ofttimes derogate symptoms ( regard the professional jock who do n’t need to sit out games ) .
Experts warn that the excitement fence such a discovery might be untimely . This initial written report looked at a small sample and there is little arrangement about what actually constitutes a mild concussion . The Army plans to conduct more cowcatcher and feasibility field of study as well as a larger study of 1,200 patient , slate for completion in 2013 .
