Instant brain injury detection could soon be reality

Instant brain injury detection could soon be reality

Imagine a handheld tool that can detect almost instantly whether a person has suffered a concussion or a traumatic brain injury.

Researchers at the University of Nebraska are helping make that life-saving device a reality.

"This device would be relatively inexpensive and something you could easily take out onto a football field or anywhere you might have a brain injury taking place," said bioanalytical chemist David Hage.

When the brain suffers trauma, it releases a protein into the blood stream. Hage has found a way to detect that protein in a single drop of blood.

"By measuring how much of the protein is there, you will be able to get an idea how badly that brain injury occurred," Hage said.

The immediate information comes from a device the size of a calculator, which can get people treatment quicker and possibly prevent more severe brain damage.

"If a person has another concussion while the person is still recovering, the brain can swell and it can be a very catastrophic injury," said Dr. Travis Groft, director of neuropsychology at the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital.

The U.S. Department of Defense is helping fund the research, and an Arkansas-based company has agreed to produce and market the device after it passes clinical trials scheduled for 2014.

What makes the research even more exciting is that developers could adapt the device to detect bio-markers in the blood to determine whether a person is in danger of suffering a heart attack or a disease like Alzheimer's.

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Instant brain injury detection could soon be reality