FREDERICK, Md. — The Army says it has discovered a simple blood test that can diagnose mild traumatic brain damage [TBI] or concussion, a hard-to-detect injury that can affect young athletes, infants with “shaken baby syndrome” and combat troops.
“This is huge,” said Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army vice chief of staff.
via Army finds simple blood test to identify mild brain trauma – USATODAY.com.
Yes, it is, if it pans out. There’s so little actual information in this it’s hard to get excited about it, but let’s say they’ve isolated a ‘brain injury’ protein.
First, it would have uses outside TBI, though that in and of itself might be useful. I don’t want to poo-pooh this test for TBI, but there are already rules for returning to contact sports (and combat has to be the ultimate in contact activities), so what’s the purpose here? (I forsee more Purple Hearts, which is fine…).
Stroke? TIA? Seizure? Pseudotumor cerebri, as a strain indicator? What if this is the test that allows us to diagnose meningitis without doing lumbar punctures? I’m all in on that front…
Let’s hope this pans out, for all our sakes.
And then the comment about a $26M validation study with a private company which makes you wonder
how much this ‘simple test’ will end up costing and why NINDS isn’t all over this although the
info presented has a maximum of hype and little of substance.
Check out https://delta.uthscsa.edu/strongstar/ it is a mass of different studies being done regarding PTSD, TBIs, amongst other things. They were here @ Ft. Hood recently enlisting candidates for a series of genetic studies.
Just something you may have like to take a look at.