High levels of a specific protein in the blood after a sports concussion may predict how severe post-concussion symptoms will be. A test that measures this chemical in the blood might aid neurologists in determining which patients can return to their sports and which may have a more serious brain injury. The chemical is called all-spectrin N-terminal fragment, or SNTF for short. Previous research had found that higher levels of SNTF in the blood the day a concussion occurred could show which patients went on to develop lasting cognitive problems. SNTF is present at undetectable levels in healthy human brains, but it is produced when nerve cells are traumatized and begin to die. If it can serve as a marker for the severity of a concussion, including those related to sports, it can help screen which patients will need added time off or additional treatments. youthhealthmag/articles/4118/20141205/concussions-sports-injuries-traumatic-brain-injury.htm
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 04:30:20 +0000
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