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Each year, about 1.7 million Americans develop a new traumatic brain injury (TBI). In many cases, diagnosing these injuries can be a complicate, difficult process, as it can take weeks or even months to determine the severity of a TBI and, consequently, figure out the best treatments for it.
In the near future, however, this may no longer be a problem, as researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have recently publish a study finding that a simple blood test may be sufficient to diagnose the severity of TBIs.
A Closer Look at this Study & Its Findings
Focusing on more than 500 patients, this study investigate whether blood test results could indicate the severity of individuals’ brain injuries by measuring the levels of a few proteins that researchers suspect would serve as good indicators of brain damage.
Traditionally, when people seek emergency medical care for brain injuries, they are given CT scans, which can show if a brain is bleeding. However, these scans have not been effective at pinpointing brain damage that exists independent of bleeding.
So, researchers overseeing this study took a closer look at how the levels of a protein known as BDNF (brain-derive neurotrophic factor) were alter in people with brain damage (when compare to those without brain damage).
What they found was that:
- Within 24 hours of a traumatic brain injury, a blood test could measure alter levels of BDNF.
- When people suffer TBIs, their BDNF levels drop by about two-thirds, being cut from about 60 nanograms per milliliter of blood (i.e., the levels of BDNF in non-brain-damage people) to about 20 nanograms per ml.
- In cases of severe TBIs, the BDNF levels were even more significantly reduce, dropping to about 4 nanograms per ml.
- While patients who were able to make some recovery from their brain injuries display corresponding increases in their BDNF levels, those who continue to experience debilitating symptoms of TBIs also continue to show lower levels of BDNFs in their blood tests.
The correlations between BDNF levels and the severity of patients’ brain injuries could be remarkable when it comes to getting brain injure patients treatments as soon as possible, researchers have note.
Commenting on these findings, Lead Researcher Dr. Frederick Korley explain that:
Compare to other proteins that have been measure in traumatic brain injury, BDNF does a much better job of predicting outcomes…The advantage of being able to predict prognosis early on is that you can advise patients on what to do, recommend whether they need to take time off work or school, and decide whether they need to follow up with a rehab doctor or neurologist.
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Contact a Mount Vernon Personal Injury Attorney at the Law Firm of Hassakis & Hassakis, P.C.
Have you or a love one been suffer a brain injury – or any type of injury – due to another party’s negligence? If so, an experience and trust Mount Vernon personal injury attorney at the Law Firm of Hassakis & Hassakis, P.C. is ready to stand up for your rights.
To learn more about your best legal options and how we can help you, contact us by calling (888) 896-9381 or by emailing us using the form at the upper right-hand side of the page. We can provide you with a free, thorough assessment of your case, along with professional advice regarding the best manner in which to move forward.
