New research to develop better diagnostic tools for diagnosing mTBI in the elderly

By Josh Wu. This article was initially published in our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing.

Who is at the most risk for a concussion? Most people would guess athletes in high contact sports. However, in reality, “adults over the age of 75 have had the highest incidence of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) since 2013,” according to an article in The Roanoke Star. Unfortunately, geriatric adults are underrepresented in mTBI research, diagnostic tools for concussion are limited, and conditions specific to the elderly complicate diagnosis. In a BrainBox Solutions press release, investigator Dr. Damon Kuehl “noted that TBIs and dementia, which also predominantly affect the elderly, have a well-documented and dangerous interplay.”   

BRAINBox Solutions Inc. and leading medical institutions (Carilion Clinic, University of Pennsylvania, VTC School of Medicine) have garnered a $3.5 million research grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to create a clinical solution that accurately captures the diagnosis and prognosis of mTBI in elderly patients. The solution builds upon BRAINBox Solutions Inc.’s prior HeadSMARTII study that is currently developing an AI-enabled, “multi-modal system for the diagnosis and prognosis” of mTBI in the elderly. This system will combine “a panel of proprietary, patented blood biomarkers that can be read in a few moments on a point–of–care instrument or using standard laboratory systems, as well as neurocognitive testing, to provide a single–system score.” With a particular focus on elderly mTBI individuals, this new project hopes to prevent future pain, complications, and death associated with this high-risk population. 

For information about mTBI risk reduction in the elderly, see Dr. Elizabeth Sandel’s blog post, Falls and Brain Injury in Older Adults.