Blog
Patient symptom report remains the most accurate method of sport concussion assessment
A study found that an athlete’s symptom report is more accurate for concussion diagnosis than the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC), a cognitive evaluation commonly used as part of the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT).
Study finds marker of functional brain activity and vasculature more accurate than ImPACT testing
A study found that these measures of blood oxygen variability (measured with fMRI) are significantly better at detecting concussion in athletes than widely used computerized cognitive diagnostic testing (i.e., ImPACT)
Will MEG be a diagnostic tool? Delta waves increased after concussion in adolescents
Increase in delta brain waves may indicate the presence of a concussion and that measuring delta waves may be a potential diagnostic tool.
Researchers find vestibular dysfunction stems from injury to the peripheral vestibular system
In a study published in the Journal of Neurotrauma, researchers aimed to “establish whether vestibular dysfunction … is of central, peripheral, or combined origin.” They found that vestibular dysfunction is associated with peripheral vestibular system injury.
New research to develop better diagnostic tools for diagnosing mTBI in the elderly
"Adults over the age of 75 have had the highest incidence of traumatic brain injuries" and better diagnostic tools are needed. BrainBox has received a grant to create a clinical solution that accurately captures the diagnosis and prognosis of mTBI in elderly patients.
Children with assault-related concussion have worse outcomes and are less-likely to get proper evaluation than those with sport-related concussion
A study found significant disparities in diagnosis and outcomes between children presenting to a pediatric hospital with assault-related (ARC) and sports-related concussion (SRC).
Baseline evaluations for diagnosing concussion do not improve diagnostic accuracy
A study by Dr. Lyndsey M. Ferris et al., published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, analyzed the utility of baseline evaluations for identifying acute concussions in college athletes. The researchers found that using baseline evaluations does not significantly improve diagnostic accuracy.
Combat-related concussion increases odds of long-term disability in Veterans in a prospective 10-year study
Dr. Mac Donald et al. conducted a 10-year prospective study of veterans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan to determine the trajectory of disability within this population and identify which subset of the population is most at risk. Their study demonstrated that veterans who sustained a concussion in combat had “very high odds of poor long-term outcome trajectory.”
University of Buffalo researchers find thirty-second single-leg stand task differentiates concussion patients from never-concussed controls
A study by Ghazala T. Saleem et al. examined the efficacy of the Physical and Neurological Examination of Subtle Signs (PANESS) to identify subtle postural control deficits after concussion. They found that the thirty-second single-leg stance identified impaired postural control in children after concussion.
Excellent breakdown of post-traumatic headache
An article published on Verywell Health provides a well-written overview of the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of post-traumatic headaches (PTH). These headaches typically stem from traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, the most common causes of which are falls, automobile injuries, sports injuries, and domestic abuse.
New study finds biomarkers in urine predictive of concussion
A study by Cassandra C. Daisy et al. published in Neurology discovered a new pair of proteins in urine that, along with a single-task gait evaluation, can be used to distinguish concussed athletes from healthy controls with 83.5% accuracy.
The English Premier League is the first major soccer league to trial in-game saliva tests for concussion diagnosis
The top-flight of English football, the Premier League (PL), announced plans to administer saliva tests that could potentially diagnose concussions sustained during games or training sessions. The trial, an academic study funded by the Premier League and intended to validate salivary biomarkers as a diagnostic tool, may start sometime this season (which ends in May 2022).