A blood test instead of a brain scan

Brain trauma caused by injury to the head can have grave consequences. Diagnosis is usually made on the basis of a CT scan. Now, a new blood test can be used to rule out severe injury in the first place. An international research team, including scientists from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), have presented their findings in Lancet Neurology. Accidents that cause injury to the head often result in traumatic brain injury. Such injuries can be relatively harmless, for example in the case of a concussion. In other cases, where large volumes of blood exert pressure on the brain, they can be life-threatening and require immediate surgery.