Ashley Balderrama
BIOL 1610
Scientists are developing technology to diagnose
concussion, 90% more accurate than what is currently used. Most commonly,
concussion diagnosis is relied on reported symptoms of blurred vision,
headache, nausea, and dizziness. But instead of relying our diagnosis on human judgment,
we can now use technology to accurately tell us whether we have a concussion or
not. The article, Simple Blood Test for Rapid Concussion Diagnosis, explains
new developments being made to diagnose concussions.
A company, Quanterix, is working on developing
sensitive test that detect proteins released from concussion. When we hit our
head with great amount of force, axons from our neurons become damaged, causing
certain proteins to leak from our brain cells and enter our blood. Quanterix
are using antibodies, which bind to molecules in proteins, to detect the
presence of these leaking proteins in the blood.
By using antibodies, we could also determine the
time of recovery from concussion. Researchers at National Institutes of Health
measured the protein, Tau, concentration of 3 concussion patients and durations
of their symptoms. They found that the patients with high levels of the protein
had longer symptoms of concussion. By measuring the protein concentration, we
can determine how long the concussion symptoms will last, and tell us when the
patient will recover.
We are all susceptible to getting a concussion,
through an accident or playing sports. This new development of concussion
diagnosis impacts all of us, and saves us from further damage of concussion. We
can treat the concussion earlier and know when it is safe to return to our
daily routine. Instead of returning a sport player back to the game from an
inaccurate diagnosis of concussion, we can treat the patients immediately for
recovery.
I chose this article, because it demonstrates
the advancement in our diagnosis of health problems. Diagnosing concussions was based on symptoms, but now we can use accurate technology to diagnose concussions. With more research to why
something is the way it is, and with the development of technology, we can find
cures and treatments to make our health better. I think that we should continue
developing these accurate diagnoses so that we find more ways to improve our
health. The same way that protein concentration was found to correlate with
concussion symptoms, we should continue being curious and find more
correlations between other two biological factors.
Source:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/simple-blood-tests-for-rapid-concussion-diagnosis/
As a student in exercise science I found this article review very pertinent and important to my future studies. The questions I would pose are: #1 how expensive are these tests? #2 where can the tests be done? #3 who performs the tests? This test sounds like it can accurately measure the severity of concussions and it would be great if there was some way to perform the test on the side of a football field, for example. If the patient has to go to a specific hospital and talk to a specialist and pay a lot of money then this new finding begins to lose its value.
ReplyDeleteMT
After doing some research I could get that although this test has proven effective in many cases, it is still a very new thing and you cant just walk into any hospital to get it done. Mostly it has just been specific tests done by medical experts who are searchig for better ways to help such patients. I couldnt find any specific costs but being that the studies are new I would guess that it would be pretty expensive.
DeleteI find this article extremely interesting but I have a few questions. I play football in high school as I’m sure a lot of students in this class have so I am aware of the effect of concussions personally. My question is of what protein is released when axons in our neurons are damage? Also, I question the effectiveness of this method when there are many types of proteins on our body. How do when know that this certain protein comes from the brain in that incident? And would that protein be shown if the player had broken a bone or even had received a bruise from the hit? A concussion is when the brain gets bruised and bleeds. So how can that not occur when another part of our body is bruised? Is it possible to mistake that protein as a sign of a concussion when really, it’s just a sign of a bruise from elsewhere? Also, diet needs to be taken into consideration because athlete take protein supplements all the time so how do we know if this is not a protein given from the supplement? Last question, from a big hit, my teammate received a concussion but it was undetectable. He was bleeding in the brain which was causing pressure but he went on and played and continued his week like normal. A week later, during the first half of the next game, he was hit and collapsed due to the already existing concussion. My question is, when his concussion was undetectable and if that protein was released but not into the circulatory system but into the brain tissue itself. Hypothetically speaking if this test worked and was proven to work, would this test detect that protein? Or would it be undetected because it would be released and blocked in the swollen brain tissue?
ReplyDeleteSorry for all the questions! This blog was super interesting!
-HH
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ReplyDeleteThanks for your questions. I hope this helps address them!
ReplyDeleteMo Costandi mentioned in, Concussion Diagnosis, that “Rotational forces can damage long projecting axons, the fibers the extend from neurons.” These are the types of forces that are expressed in concussions. This damage to the axons releases a protein called Tau into the blood stream. “These proteins are located in neurons at high levels, and at very low levels in other parts of the brain and spinal cord.”, as explained in the Brain Research Interactive study on Tua. This makes Tau easy to locate.
When an athlete or person breaks their bones or get bruises, other proteins are released, or used to mend the area. For instance, collagen (a protein) helps in bone resorption, so there is a clear indicator between the protein structures. This is similar for the types of proteins we digest. Most people are digesting vegetable proteins or animal proteins that are not correlated with brain structured proteins.
Right now they are testing this research out on hockey players and other athletes and are not only able to determine if a concussion has occurred, but how long recovery might take, so they don’t send player back in before they are ready.
They are also trying to refine the process to detect very low levels of Tua for people who are testing directly after receiving the initial head trama. As far as tua getting trapped in the brain tissue itself, the research provided by Mo Costandi’s and Brain Research Interactive, agree that Tua is released from the brain cells during the force of the hit.
http://research.mssm.edu/cnic/pdfs/brainresrev33_95.pdf
https://sciencelife.uchospitals.edu/2017/03/09/molecules-form-gels-to-help-cells-sense-and-respond-to-stress/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3152283/
by-JLF
There are so many proteins, hormones and signals being transmitted within the brain that is this really an effective way to tell if someone is concussed or how long it'll last for? Do they truly believe its a more accurate diagnosis than just relying on the symptoms and the old method?
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ReplyDeleteThis was very interesting to read. I was impressed that it is 90% more accurate than what is currently used. This could potentially really help all athletes.
ReplyDelete-George Lewis
Thanks for this article and also for the additional information from other people's comments and questions! It was fun to read and learn from your readings. Having played soccer myself, me and my twin sister were both subject to head trauma during our time playing soccer. Its a fascinating thought to think that they could test right on the spot as to whether someone has had a concussion or not and how long it might take to recover. I find it amazing the more and more I learn about the body, how involved proteins are in everything. Its so cool! I love it! This also made me think of the movie Concussion, with Will Smith. As has been said, lots of people will benefit from this, and hopefully a lot of people will be prevented from causing further damage from returning to fast to the sport. Thanks again for this article! CNA
ReplyDeleteI found this article incredibly interesting as someone who has had a concussion from sports. I have always wondered about the science behind it, and if they were trying to figure out how to "cure" them, so to speak. I think it is very cool that we can use antibodies to more accurately diagnose concussions. Thank you for the imformative topic.
ReplyDelete-CL
My children all play sports in which concussions are prevalent and this new test to diagnose concussions is very interesting to me. I have seen the effects of concussions on the brain and the time that it does take to heal. I know that concussions can cause mental deficiencies later in life and I would love to be able to treat and to heal patients with this injury better. Teenagers and athletes don't want to take the time to allow the brain to heal correctly and I am pleased to see the continuing research in treating and preventing concussions. AVB
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