New test may help diagnose concussions in kids

A new blood test may be able to determine whether a child has suffered a concussion. Millions of people suffer concussions each year related to sports and recreation, according to the Centers for Disease

News 12 Staff

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Nov 11, 2015, 4:29 AM

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Updated 3,333 days ago

A new blood test may be able to determine whether a child has suffered a concussion.

Millions of people suffer concussions each year related to sports and recreation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Now, researchers in Florida say they have developed a blood test that can detect even the most subtle signs of concussions in children. The study appears in the journal Academic Emergency Medicine.

Dr. Linda Papa said, "With our blood test, we were able to identify the presence of brain injuries 94 percent of the time. This simple blood test was nearly as accurate as a state-of-the-art CT scan."

Local sports medicine doctors say while it sounds like a great first step, they are convinced it will take a lot more work to get the blood test from the lab setting to the sidelines.

Researchers say they're hoping to have the blood test commercially available within five years.