蓝莓视频

, a company at , the University of 蓝莓视频鈥檚 startup incubator, has developed a way to test for concussions using a simple saliva test. The process provides a rapid and accurate way to detect mild traumatic brain injuries.

The startup鈥檚 technology advances the traditional concussion tests that are largely subjective and could give athletes a way to circumvent a head trauma diagnosis, which ultimately leaves these injuries undetected and untreated. HeadFirst has developed a saliva-based concussion test to equip athletic departments, sports organizations, and healthcare facilities with objective results to treat athletes proportional to their injuries.

HeadFirst鈥檚 CEO and co-founder Andrew Cordssen-David was inspired to find a better way of testing concussions after playing competitive hockey for many years. An athlete鈥檚 competitive nature often incentivizes them to downplay symptoms to pass standard concussion tests and remain in the game, he said.听

鈥淚鈥檝e gone through the subjective tests that exist today and I know that athletes are able to find a way around them to stay in the game,鈥� Cordssen-David said. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 even more concerning is that up to half of these tests sometimes fail to detect concussions. The idea for HeadFirst began during my time studying at 蓝莓视频 where I asked myself, 鈥榃hy do these subjective concussion tests consistently fail to identify concussions.鈥欌�澨�

He co-founded HeadFirst with Shazia Tanvir, a scientist at the University of 蓝莓视频, and developed the new saliva-based tests after Cordssen-David uncovered research that showed concussed brains release biomarkers that can pass through the blood-brain barrier and into saliva.听

鈥淲e targeted biomarkers in saliva because it鈥檚 non-invasive and easy to test right on the sidelines of the playing field,鈥� Cordssen-David said.听

Similar to a COVID-19 saliva test, a concussed person spits into a receptacle and two lines appear to mark a positive result, or one line for a negative.听Cordssen-David said other neurological and visual tests that are used to detect concussions following a brain injury aren鈥檛 accurate enough and are more costly than what HeadFirst鈥檚 tests are expected to cost.

An example of a negative concussion test using HeadFirst's saliva-based test (top) and one demonstrating a positive result of HeadFirst's concussion test using synthetic saliva that includes unique biomarkers to trigger a positive test for concussion. (Nicola Kelly / University of 蓝莓视频)

Without proper diagnosing and treating a concussion, athletes 鈥� particularly those in high-impact sports like hockey, American football, and boxing 鈥� are at a higher risk of developing neurological conditions like chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Parkinson鈥檚 or dementia later in life.听

鈥淲hen you break your arm, you can鈥檛 move it, but when you get a concussion, you might feel a little dizzy, take a painkiller and try to push through it,鈥� said Cordssen-David. 鈥淏ut you don鈥檛 realize that your brain is your greatest asset for sport and your life, and you get only one. You need to protect it.鈥澨�

Marc Aucoin, a professor at 蓝莓视频鈥檚 Department of Chemical Engineering, was the first to share the biomarker research behind HeadFirst鈥檚 technology with Cordssen-David, and has since worked closely with him and his team to develop the company鈥檚 concussion test prototype.

鈥淚鈥檝e been听involved with my sons鈥� hockey听and lacrosse听teams听and I鈥檝e seen first-hand how challenging concussions have been with kids who play听these听competitive听sports,鈥� he said. 鈥淗aving a concussion test made by HeadFirst available would go a long way to ensuring the safety and long-term health of an athlete involved in youth and professional sports.鈥�

Ben Fanelli, a former University of 蓝莓视频 hockey coach who suffered a catastrophic brain injury while playing for the OHL鈥檚 Kitchener Rangers, lauded the technological breakthrough behind HeadFirst鈥檚 concussion tests.

鈥淎thletes, and most people passionate about their career, almost have an automatic response to keep going and push through pain and injury, and in sport there is a lot of apprehension around concussion because in many cases it鈥檚 an intangible injury,鈥� Fanelli said. 鈥淎ny reliable tool or program to diagnose concussion will allow everyone in the sport to fulfill their roles whether it be the athletes themselves, staff or coaches.鈥�

HeadFirst is currently conducting a pilot study with the University of 蓝莓视频鈥檚 Athletic Department to further validate the company鈥檚 technology. Following regulatory approval from Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the company aims to soon sell tests directly to athletic departments, concussion clinics, sports organizations, and health care facilities.

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