New tool to help detect concussions in young athletes

London, Ont. -

A new way to detect concussions in athletes has been discovered, with just a prick of the finger.

Dr. Douglas Fraser of London and his team of scientists at Neurolytixs, made the first of its kind discovery, which has a 96 per cent accuracy rate.

"This technology will have a significant impact on the more than 10 per cent of young athletes that experience a concussion every year," says Fraser. “With another 50 per cent of concussions going undiagnosed in youth sports, this will be a game-changer for children and youth who participate in organized sports in Canada.”

Individuals can submit a finger brick blood sample to the lab at the beginning of their sport season and if a possible concussion occurs, the athlete sends a new blood sample within a 72-hour window of the incident and it’s compared to the original sample.

The technology will be made accessible to parents, coaches and teachers — giving them the ability to help better assess if an athlete has a concussion or not.

Research and clinical trials are ongoing.