A new breath test developed by London-based scientists could help to accurately diagnose a mild traumatic brain injury common in military personnel, police, mine workers, and people living in war zones.
Researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute, in partnership with Defence Research and Development Canada, created the test for repetitive blast injury after examining blood biomarkers in members of the Canadian Armed Forces who have experienced repetitive blasts.
“When we looked at these service personnel there were certain metabolites in their blood that had changed quite dramatically compared to those who had not been exposed to blast injury,” Lawson Scientist and Western University Professor Dr. Douglas Fraser said in a statement. “What was remarkable about these metabolites is that some of them are expelled in a person’s breath.”
With that revelation in mind, scientists identified a combination of metabolites that could be measured in a breath test.
“The individual would blow into what looks like a straw and the breath would go into a device which would measure the metabolites of interest,” said Fraser. “The device would then determine if the person is in the danger zone, or if they have been exposed to too many blasts.”
Repetitive blast injury occurs when a pressure wave is sent through the head and brain after an explosion. The effects from it can be similar to a concussion. Until now, physicians could only rely on a patient’s history and symptoms to diagnose the injury as no diagnostic test had previously been developed.
“The symptoms of blast injury overlap with other neurological conditions, especially depression, so accurate diagnosis is essential,” said Dr. Vivian McAllister, director of military academic medicine at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. “Early diagnosis allows for interventions that we know to be successful in reducing the symptoms and consequences of mild traumatic brain injury.”
Clinical trials of the new breath tests will soon be held to confirm the efficacy of the new diagnostic device.
“Once validated through clinical trials, this portable device could be easily developed and it will allow us to determine who has been over exposed to blast injuries and how we can protect them in the future,” said Fraser.