New concussion test - and treatment - in the works at U of S

New blood test could detect concussions It's been seven years in the making – and now researchers are closer to helping medical staff identify brain injuries sooner.

University of Saskatchewan researchers hope a new test for concussions will provide better care for patients.

The test simply looks for two key markers in the patient’s blood, says Changiz Taghibiglou with the U of S College of Medicine.

"That's why we thought finding a blood based biomarker, a protein in the blood which is correlated, related with the brain injury, it will help medical staff and emergency crew to identify the brain injury victims sooner.”

His team took samples from U of S athletes, some of whom may have suffered a concussion.

The team found one biomarker that shows if a person had a concussion, and another that shows how serious it might be.

The blood test is easier and safer than more invasive approaches such as collecting spinal fluid, he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Yanbo Zhang is helping develop a new treatment for concussions similar to an MRI. It would be a portable machine that could help concussion patients on the spot.

"The purpose of that is to reset the brain connectivity. In many ways when people have a concussion or have acquired a brain injury or some mental health condition, the synchronization of the brain is abnormal,” Zhang said.

The team hopes to move out of research and on to testing in the next two years.