A new type of blood test can detect mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) completely missed by CT scans, according to new research published in Lancet Neurology.
The findings come from the Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury (TRACK-TBI) study, which collected data from 18 different trauma centers throughout the United States.
“Blood-based biomarkers are emerging as an important tool to detect TBI, and this research opens up the next chapter for how the condition is evaluated,” co-author Geoffrey T. Manley, MD, PhD, principal investigator of the TRACK-TBI study, said in a prepared statement. “Having these sensitive tools could provide physicians more real-time, objective information and improve the accuracy of detecting TBI. This research shows that blood tests have the potential to help physicians triage patients suspected of brain injury quickly and accurately.”
CT scans are often ordered to check if patients have experienced a TBI, but MRI findings often reveal that patients with normal CT results still show signs of an injury. MRIs are not always an option, however, due to availability or even cost.
The team behind the TRACK-TBI study used data from 450 patients with a suspected TBI who received a negative CT scan, aiming to learn if the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is an effective biomarker. Patients were recruited from Feb. 26, 2014, to June 15, 2018. Researchers tested each patient’s blood with a handheld blood analyzer that produces results in minutes. The solution, developed by Abbott, is available commercially outside of the United States, but not in the United States.
For each patient, GFAP levels were evaluated in the blood and then compared to MRI results. Levels were much higher for patients with positive MRI scans than those with negative MRI scans. Of the 90 patients with the highest GFAP levels, 64% had TBIs.
According to the statement, these findings show that GFAP levels of patients with potential TBIs “could potentially be used to predict the type of damage, as well as the extent of injury.”
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.