We’ve spoken about traumatic brain injury in the past. A new blood test claims that it can accurately identify trauma in the brain.

More than 300,000 young people suffer a concussion every year in Canada and the United States alone. Concussions can come about as a result of direct force to the head, whether it is by falling or by colliding with a teammate while playing soccer.

The new blood test, which has proven to be 94 percent accurate, may change the way concussions and other head injuries are diagnosed. It’s even more groundbreaking because the blood test can also detect the severity of the head injury.

“This could ultimately change the way we diagnose concussions, not only in children, but in anyone who sustains a head injury,” said Dr. Linda Papa, an emergency medicine physician at Orlando Health whose team was responsible for the creation of the new test.

Concussions are often called the “invisible injury,” which makes this discovery all the more important since concussions are often not detected on X-Rays or CT scans, and/or have symptoms that appear much later.

Because of the invisible nature of the extent of any traumatic brain injury, we encourage anyone who suspects that they have such an injury, or anyone who has been involved in the kind of accident where such injuries commonly occur, to go and see their primary care physician without delay following the incident. Obtaining a medical report could possibly help avail you of all of your rights to compensation should symptoms arise later.

Traumatic brain injury and concussions are complex cases.

For more information, visit our section on brain injury. If you have any questions, book a free consultation or call 1-855-446-7765.