HOUSTON – A research team at the University of Texas at Austin’s PsyBrain Lab announce the new FDA approved laboratory blood test for traumatic brain injury in the United States.
The technology, Alinity i, detects for elevated levels of two biomarkers in blood that are closely correlated with brain injury and can help diagnose patients in as little as 18 minutes, according to a release.
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Prior to the FDA’s approval of Alinity i, which is produced by Abbott Laboratories, diagnosis of TBI relied on subjective assessment by doctors and CT scans to detect brain tissue damage or lesions.
Many people who suspected they might have suffered a mild case of TBI, or a concussion, might not even see a doctor. The new diagnostic tool can provide greater certainty for patients and doctors and might encourage more people to seek medical attention for possible TBI.
“This work demonstrated the accuracy of a blood test that can reduce the number of unnecessary CT scans and reduce the amount of time a patient may spend in the emergency department,” said David Schnyer, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology who oversees PsyBrain Lab. “The Alinity i test can be used when a patient shows up to the hospital with a suspected TBI within 12 hours of injury.”