Blood Test Will Predict Seriousness of Brain Injuries

A blood test is being developed that can help predict the seriousness of a head injury and detect the status of the blood-brain barrier.

In the United States, the currently accepted standard screening tool for head injuries is the CT scan, which shows bleeding in the brain but does not detect more subtle injury to the brain's neurons, which can result in lasting neurological defects. Ninety-five percent of CT scans look normal for patients with a relatively mild but potentially life-altering injury.

Previous studies demonstrated that the S-100B serum protein biomarker increased rapidly after an injury. If measured within four hours of the injury, the S-100B test accurately predicts which head injury patients will have a traumatic abnormality such as hemorrhage or skull fracture on a head CT scan. It takes about 20 minutes to get results and could spare many patients unnecessary radiation exposure. A panel of national experts agreed for the first time that the S-100B blood test could be a useful tool for patients with a mild head injury, allowing them to safely avoid a CT scan.

Physicians at six Emergency Departments in upstate New York, including the ED at Strong Memorial Hospital (Rochester, NY, USA) this year (2009) will continue to study the accuracy of the test among 1,500 patients. Scientists plan to use the data to apply for U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA; Rockville, MD, USA) approval.

Jeffrey Bazarian, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of Emergency Medicine, Neurology and Neurosurgery at University of Rochester School of Medicine (URMS; Rochester, NY, USA) and Brian J. Blyth, M.D., assistant professor of Emergency Medicine at URMC, found that the S-100B test can also relay critical information about how the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is functioning after a head injury.

The study was reported online in the March 3, 2009, in the Journal of Neurotrauma.

Related Links:
Strong Memorial Hospital
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
University of Rochester School of Medicine