Board certified neurologist Beth McQuiston spoke with Tom Collins and Laura Mac of Lubbock's First News about exciting new technology that will help diagnose brain trauma in military personnel while still in the battlefield.

McQuiston said a partnership between Abbott Laboratories and the U.S. Department of Defense is developing a new hand-held product that would detect the presence of proteins that are released when a person's brain suffers injury via a simple blood test that can be administered on the battlefield, as well as any other places where people may suffer brain trauma.

"Something may happen to a soldier or and affected person being taken into an emergency room, and what you do is take a couple drops of blood, put it on the device and wait a few minutes and get a result," she explained. "And if the test finds those proteins that is abnormal, they should not be in the blood stream and that is a warning bell that further evaluation and treatment are needed."

McQuiston added that having normal detection equipment is not always feasible, but by using the ISTAT platform, a device already in use by doctors and hospitals to detect enzymes and proteins that indicate heart and kidney injury can speed concussion detection and treatment.

McQuiston went on to say that those who suffer one concussion are more susceptible to future concussions and that the cumulative effect of multiple concussions can be severely debilitating to an individual.

In addition to benefiting military personnel, McQuiston said this type of technology could be useful in diagnosing concussions in athletes and others who may suffer head injuries  during a fall or in a collision.

To hear all of McQuiston's interview, click here:

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