Experts who want tighter regulation of concussion in sport are trialling new medical tests that could provide rapid, pitchside diagnosis.
The “return to play decision” after a head injury is a serious problem that has caused tragedy and controversy.
Among the new proposals is a breath test, which successfully detects key chemicals in early laboratory trials.
Produced by the damaged brain, these chemicals are known to indicate a brain injury when found in the bloodstream.
Further trials will establish whether the same markers can also be detected in athletes’ breath, and whether such a breath test would pick up the kind of brain injuries commonly seen in sports like rugby, football and American football.
“These biochemical compounds from the brain can be measured in a number of different fluids – for example, saliva and breath,” explained Prof Tony Belli, a neurosurgeon and medical researcher from the University of Birmingham.