The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new test that can detect concussions accurately and rapidly.
Developed by a team led by Pittsburgh Steelers team neurosurgeon Dr. David Okonkwo, the test's manufacturer says it can rule out concussions with a 95.6 percent accuracy when assessed within 24 hours of injury. The test works by detecting two proteins, UCH-L1 and GFAP, released within the blood following a concussion.
Abbott, the test's manufacturer, believes it will be available for bedside use in hospitals by this summer. The next step will be for use on the battlefield and the sidelines.
“The nature of the studies performed to gain FDA clearance for these tests were done in patients brought to level one trauma centers,” Dr. Okonkwo told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We have every reason to believe there is significant overlap with the injuries to athletes who sustain a concussion, but we need to do studies specifically in that patient population to confirm that use.”
Dr. Okonkwo and his team are still refining the test, aiming to move from a needle-and-syringe blood draw to a finger-stick test.
The ultimate test for sideline utility will be just how rapid "rapid" truly means. If it takes hours to learn whether or not a player is concussed, this test will have limited utility on the sidelines. But if a concussion can be identified or ruled out within minutes? This test will be on every sideline sooner than later.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.