A new blood test could accurately identify elderly concussion patients without brain tissue damage who will then not require computed tomography (CT) scan.

According to a research paper published in January issue of AACC’s The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine, the blood test was 100% accurate at identifying who did not have brain tissue damage.

CT scans can be expensive and expose patients to radiation. Therefore, the reduced use of CT scans could benefit both the healthcare system and patients.

The blood test was not accurate at detecting patients who had brain tissue damage.

In early 2018, Banyan Biomarkers secured marketing clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a blood test to assess mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion in adults.

The Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator measures two proteins, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ubiquitin carboxyle-terminal esterase L1 (UCH-L1).

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

As the blood test was not specifically designed for elderly patients, the research team led by the University of Maryland School of Medicine Robert H Christenson aimed to determine the test in patients age 65 years or older.

As a part of the Prospective Clinical Evaluation of Biomarkers of Traumatic Brain Injury (ALERT-TBI) study, the research team analysed data from 1,959 concussion patients, who had both a CT scan and a blood test done for brain tissue damage within 12 hours of their injury.

Christenson said: “This posthoc analysis of the ALERT-TBI study further validates the utility of the mild traumatic brain injury serum assay as a rule-out test across the spectrum of adult ages, based on equivalent sensitivity and negative predictive value.

“However, the identified differences in specificity and serum GFAP / UCH-L1 values in elderly traumatic brain injury patients limits use as a rule-in test, and highlights age-specific characteristics that must be considered in the use of the predictive markers in elderly mild traumatic brain injury patients.”

The research team notes that the test should only be used as a triage tool and not as a replacement for CT scans.