Mason research could change the way concussions are diagnosed

Colleen Rich — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 14:54:19 +0000

Mason research could change the way concussions are diagnosed Colleen Rich Thu, 07/01/2021 - 10:54

Two research professors at ��AV, in collaboration with global partners, have discovered the same protein biomarkers in the saliva of youth and collegiate athletes who have experienced concussive and sub-concussive impacts.

Shane Caswell

The findings, if validated in larger, independent studies, could be used to develop a new, rapid, noninvasive, saliva-based test for concussion diagnosis and management, as well as a way to monitor changes to the brain following exposure to repetitive sub-concussive impacts.

The study, conducted by Mason professor of athletic training Shane Caswell and University Professor Emanuel Petricoin, was recently published in the Journal of Neurotrauma.

“Salivary biomarker research can, hopefully, enhance already existing tools that diagnose concussions, as well as track brain health over time,” said Caswell, one of the study’s lead researchers and executive director of Mason’s Sports Medicine Assessment, Research, and Testing (SMART) Laboratory. “This is valuable, not only in all levels of sports, but also in military settings.”

Concussion and repeated sub-concussive impacts, which are blows to the head that do not produce immediate symptoms, could have long-term adverse health consequences if athletes return to contact activity too soon.

Concussion management currently relies on subjective measures to inform clinical judgement. New strides have been made recently, such as a handheld blood test developed by Abbott Laboratories to diagnose concussions. But there continues to be limited understanding of how repeated sub-concussive impacts, that frequently do not cause concussion symptoms, affect the brain.

Emanuel Petricoin

“There is a need for nonsubjective, diagnostic measures to be able to assess someone’s traumatic brain injury level, either in a concussed or sub-concussed state,” said Petricoin, co-director of Mason’s Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine (CAPMM). “This is important for health care providers so that they can make accurate medical judgements.”

Mason’s research identified antibodies in saliva that target proteins such as HTR1A, SRRM4, and FAS, which are known to play a role in brain physiology and function. Their presence correlates with concussions and how many hits and athlete sustained during a season of play.

Compared to healthy athletes, individuals who were diagnosed with a concussion, or who suffered high exposure to sub-concussive impacts, showed an elevation of the same salivary biomarkers.

The research team worked with youth, high school, and collegiate athletic teams and their medical staffs across the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, to collect saliva to create a Sport-Related Head Trauma Salivary Biobank. This first-of-its-kind biobank contains saliva collected from healthy athletes, athletes diagnosed with concussions, and athletes who sustained repetitive sub-concussive impacts.

Sensors worn by the athletes measured the number and severity of hits. Collected saliva was tested using a Mason-developed nanoparticle technology. Analysis was completed by researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, which is a leader in the world of autoimmunity research.

“Once someone has experienced a concussion, it is hard to know when they are fully healed from it, meaning it may take less of an impact for a second concussion to occur,” Petricoin said. “It’s important to study concussion biomarkers in youth because growing evidence suggests that if we can monitor head impacts more effectively, it will support their long-term health.”

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Research

SMART Lab

Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine (CAPMM)

Institute for Biohealth Innovation

College of Education and Human Development

Mason researchers study risk factors of brain aneurysms and effective treatments for high-risk patients

Colleen Rich — Tue, 18 May 2021 15:51:40 +0000

Mason researchers study risk factors of brain aneurysms and effective treatments for high-risk patients Colleen Rich Tue, 05/18/2021 - 11:51

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Juan Cebral

Juan Cebral. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

The localized enlargement of arteries in the brain, known as cerebral aneurysms, can have devastating consequences. ��AV researcher Juan Cebral and his team are studying major risk factors for aneurysms and how to identify high-risk patients who need prompt and aggressive treatments.

This study, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, includes clinical and research investigators from the University of Pittsburgh, Northwell Hospital in New York, Allegheny General Hospital, the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center, Helsinki University Hospital, Tampere University Hospital in Finland, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Jikei University, and Geneva University Hospital. These collaborators have assembled a database of approximately 3,000 aneurysms and have recently published three articles that have led to continued support from the National Institutes of Health.

Mason faculty are also working with Cebral, including Martin Slawaski from the College of Engineering and Computing, Rainald Lohner from the College of Science, and Fernado Mut from the Computational Hemodynamics Lab, which Cebral leads.

Cebral and his team are specifically focusing on aneurysms with blebs, which are secondary swellings found in weakened sections of the aneurysm walls. Tearing of the wall, or a rupture, is more likely to occur when blebs are present. These ruptures cause cerebral hemorrhages, leading to serious health complications or death.

The research team found two notable clinical characteristics among patients diagnosed with brain aneurysms: patients with blebs are more likely to have dental problems, such as periodontitis and other dental infections, and women who are undergoing hormone replacement therapy tend to have fewer blebs. They also discovered that the way the blood flows inside an aneurysm, and whether a bleb has a thick or thin wall, can help determine the condition’s severity.

“Blebs that had a strong blood flow generally had thinner walls compared to those with weak blood flows, which had thicker walls,” said Cebral, who is in the Department of Bioengineering. “The conclusion here is that not all blebs are the same: Some are more dangerous than others, and flow conditions may help us recognize which aneurysms need immediate treatment.”

Cebral is hopeful that the research findings contribute to progression in how aneurysms and blebs are currently evaluated and treated. For instance, if the association between dental problems and bleb formation continues to be proven on a larger scale, Cebral suggests that an emphasis on intense dental hygiene may be an effective way to stabilize the aneurysm and avoid invasive treatment.

“Our goal is to help identify patients who need rapid treatment and those whose diagnosis may not be as threatening,” said Cebral. “Understanding that not all aneurysms and blebs are the same is important because we should not assign the same risk level or care plans to all patients.”

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Research

Bioengineering

Institute for Biohealth Innovation

Hannah Kanfer

Mason research could change the way concussions are diagnosed

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Mason researchers study risk factors of brain aneurysms and effective treatments for high-risk patients

In This Story

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