New research at the University of Saskatchewan could make concussion testing as easy as donating blood.

Changiz Taghibiglou, an assistant professor in the department of pharmacology, is developing a simple blood test that could determine if someone has a concussion within a matter of minutes.

The test uses a specific protein that is loosely attached to the surface of the brain. When an impact to the head occurs, this protein can be easily dislodged. The protein molecules then enter the bloodstream where they can be detected by a blood test.

Taghibiglou’s research has garnered the support of Canada’s Department of National Defence. In September 2012, the Defence Research and Development Canada Suffield Research Centre in Medicine Hat, Alta.  expressed interest in the test because of the prevalence of concussions in battlefield scenarios.

The DRDC has provided blood samples from soldiers to be used in the development of the test.

“Without the support of the DRDC, we could not be at this stage,” Taghibiglou said, “We acknowledge and are grateful for their support.”

Taghibiglou is also working with several U of S Huskie Athletics programs — men’s and women’s hockey, basketball, soccer and men’s football — to develop the test.

During the off-season, Taghibiglou collected blood samples from members of the men’s football team to act as a control group. These samples can then be compared to follow up tests taken after an injury occurs.

Concussions are a common injury in the military as well as many sports and often go unnoticed said Nathan Pham, a graduate student working with Taghibiglou.

“It’s a common issue with both athletes and in the military where people have this tough mentality and if they’re injured they feel like it’s part of the job and that they can move on and get through it,” Pham said.

Taghibiglou eventually wants to turn the test into a user friendly kit that can be used by anyone, including coaches, military medics or first responders at accident scenes. He said they have applied for a patent for the test through the university’s Industry Liaison Office and are working on finding industrial partners to produce the test commercially.

However, before the test becomes commercial, more research needs to be done.

Taghibiglou said the normative concentration of the protein in question has never been established and will need to be determined through additional testing. Taghibiglou is asking for healthy students to volunteer to donate blood for the project so that an accurate control group can be created.

Concussions occur when the head is directly impacted or is forced to accelerate from an indirect contact often caused by sports-related collisions, falls or car accidents. However, there is no universally accepted definition of what a concussion is in the medical community.

Concussions can be very difficult to diagnose properly as there are seldom signs of physical damage. Symptoms of concussions include confusion, dizziness, blurred or double vision and light sensitivity. Diagnosing these symptoms can prove difficult because situations in which concussions commonly occur often cause other injuries as well.

“People may think ‘I’m dizzy because my arm is bleeding or because of the drugs they’re giving me,’” Pham said. “It’s a confound and it’s hard to control for, so we hope that the protein biomarker test will provide an objective, easy-to-use parameter.”

Current diagnostic methods use medical imaging techniques such as MRIs. However, Taghibiglou said that these methods often produce inaccurate results for concussions and are often too expensive to be found in many smaller communities.

Repeated concussions and further impacts to the head of an already concussed person can have cumulitive detrimental effects. Multiple concussions and post-concussion syndromes have been tied to the development of long-term mental health issues — such as depression — later in life.

The long term effects of brain injuries were recently thrust into the public eye when thousands of former National Football League players joined together in a class action lawsuit against the organization, claiming that the league had hid the consequences of concussions from them.

The suicides of former NFL athletes Dave Duerson and Junior Seau in 2011 and 2012 respectively have been an important part of this debate. Autopsies showed that both men suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy — a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated brain injuries and known to cause depression.

“They can be too tough for their own good,” Pham said. “They get back on the field or maybe they don’t understand or can’t articulate it to their coach immediately. It’s a hazy period and it’s a different mentality. We hope this test can provide an objective value.”

Anyone interested in volunteering to donate blood for testing can contact Nathan Pham at nap746@mail.usask.ca or phone the laboratory directly at 1-306-966-2552. Taghibiglou said only a small amount of blood is needed for the test.

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Graphic: Cody Schumacher/Graphics Editor