PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

On-field blood test can diagnose sports concussions

2014-01-09
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Leslie Orr
Leslie_Orr@urmc.rochester.edu
585-275-5774
University of Rochester Medical Center
On-field blood test can diagnose sports concussions A brain protein, S100B, which may soon be detected by a simple finger-stick blood test, accurately distinguishes a sports-related concussion from sports exertion, according to a study of college athletes in Rochester, N.Y., and Munich, Germany, and published in PLOS ONE by Jeffrey J. Bazarian, M.D., professor at the University of Rochester.

For years Bazarian and others have been investigating the use of S100B for on-field diagnoses of head injuries. The current method of diagnosing concussion by evaluating symptoms such as loss of consciousness, confusion, and headache are notoriously inaccurate. This makes it difficult for coaches and trainers to decide who should come out of the game.

S100B is a well-accepted biomarker for traumatic brain injury, and Europeans are already using it to decide who is at high risk for intracranial bleeding and in need of head CT scanning.

However, the obstacle to using S100B to diagnose sports concussions has been the observation that brain protein levels tend to rise slightly after physical exertion, for reasons that are not exactly clear. Therefore, scientists must first have the ability to separate the effects of physical exertion from concussion when looking at S100B levels in the blood.

In this study, 46 athletes completed preseason baseline testing for S100B. Researchers re-tested 30 of them after exertion and found that their S100B levels rose on average only about 2% compared to baseline.

Twenty two of the 46 athletes suffered clinically confirmed concussions. And of the 22 athletes, 17 underwent S100B testing within 3 hours of injury. Results showed their S100B levels soared an average of about 81% compared to baseline. Bazarian and his colleagues concluded that in these athletes a rise in S100B levels greater than 45% was nearly diagnostic of concussion.

### END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Fungi may determine the future of soil carbon

2014-01-09
Fungi may determine the future of soil carbon When scientists discuss global change, they often focus on the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and vegetation. But soil contains more carbon than air and plants combined. This means that even a minor ...

A 1-percent measure of galaxies half the universe away

2014-01-09
A 1-percent measure of galaxies half the universe away Researchers from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) today announced that they have measured the distance to galaxies more than six billion light years away to an ...

Molecular engines star in new model of DNA repair

2014-01-09
Molecular engines star in new model of DNA repair Study reveals major role of RNA polymerase and other enzymes in DNA repair Our health depends in large part upon the ability of specialized enzymes to find and repair ...

International Tree Nut Council funded study links nut intake with lower risks of obesity

2014-01-09
International Tree Nut Council funded study links nut intake with lower risks of obesity New Findings on tree nuts, metabolic syndrome and obesity in PlosOne A new study , published today in the online journal PLOS ONE, looks at the association between tree nuts (almonds, ...

Marine bacteria to fight tough infections

2014-01-09
Marine bacteria to fight tough infections Aggressive infections are a growing health problem all over the world. The development of resistant bacteria is rampant and, in the United States, resistant staphylococci cause more deaths than AIDS on an annual basis. Researchers ...

Controlling blood sugar levels in critically ill children could save NHS £12 million per year

2014-01-09
Controlling blood sugar levels in critically ill children could save NHS £12 million per year A major UK-wide study (The CHiP trial) led by Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical ...

Climate changes the distribution of plants and animals

2014-01-09
Climate changes the distribution of plants and animals Swiss plants, butterflies and birds have moved 8 to 42 meters uphill between 2003 and 2010, as scientists from the University of Basel write in the online journal "Plos One". Climate warming is changing the distribution ...

Emperor Penguins breeding on ice shelves

2014-01-09
Emperor Penguins breeding on ice shelves A new study of four Antarctic emperor penguin colonies suggest that unexpected breeding behaviour may be a sign that the birds are adapting to environmental change. Analysis of satellite observations reveals that penguin ...

First shark genome decoded

2014-01-09
First shark genome decoded Genome of the elephant shark provides new insights into immunity and bone formation This news release is available in German. An international team of researchers, including scientists of the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology ...

Bio-inspired glue keeps hearts securely sealed

2014-01-09
Bio-inspired glue keeps hearts securely sealed Adhesive may improve how surgeons treat congenital heart defects and other heart problems Boston, MA – When a child is born with a heart defect such as a hole in the heart, the highly invasive therapies are ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Brain stimulation can boost math learning in people with weaker neural connections

Inhibiting enzyme could halt cell death in Parkinson’s disease, study finds

Neurotechnology reverses biological disadvantage in maths learning

UNDER EMBARGO: Neurotechnology reverses biological disadvantage in maths learning

Scientists target ‘molecular machine’ in the war against antimicrobial resistance

Extending classical CNOP method for deep-learning atmospheric and oceanic forecasting

Aston University research: Parents should encourage structure and independence around food to support children’s healthy eating

Thunderstorms are a major driver of tree death in tropical forests

Danforth Plant Science Center adds two new faculty members

Robotic eyes mimic human vision for superfast response to extreme lighting

Racial inequities and access to COVID-19 treatment

Residential segregation and lung cancer risk in African American adults

Scientists wipe out aggressive brain cancer tumors by targeting cellular ‘motors’

Capturability distinction analysis of continuous and pulsed guidance laws

CHEST expands Bridging Specialties Initiative to include NTM disease and bronchiectasis on World Bronchiectasis Day

Exposure to air pollution may cause heart damage

SwRI, UTSA selected by NASA to test electrolyzer technology aboard parabolic flight

Prebiotics might be a factor in preventing or treating issues caused by low brain GABA

Youngest in class at higher risk of mental health problems

American Heart Association announces new volunteer leaders for 2025-26

Gut microbiota analysis can help catch gestational diabetes

FAU’s Paulina DeVito awarded prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Champions for change – Paid time off initiative just made clinical trials participation easier

Fentanyl detection through packaging

Prof. Eran Meshorer elected to EMBO for pioneering work in epigenetics

New 3D glacier visualizations provide insights into a hotter Earth

Creativity across disciplines

Consequences of low Antarctic sea ice

Hear here: How loudness and acoustic cues help us judge where a speaker is facing

A unique method of rare-earth recycling can strengthen the raw material independence of Europe and America

[Press-News.org] On-field blood test can diagnose sports concussions