January 27, 2014
One of the most difficult parts of a doctor diagnosing a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is being able to properly identify the condition, considering many of the symptoms of a TBI are not visible to the naked eye. The Norfolk Brain Injury Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley say researchers at the University of Virginia may have developed a solution to this problem.
An article from YottaFire explains the team is using positron emission tomography (PET) scans and immune responses to identify changes in the brain at a molecular level, thus allowing the team to identify changes to brain biology and chemistry that can confirm a TBI has occurred.
Typically, less advanced imaging systems are used on TBI patients, which leaves doctors to heavily rely on patients describing their symptoms to diagnose their conditions. Now, the PET scan allows physicians to note when a compound similar to the structure of a radioactive tracer attaches to a white blood cell known as neutrophils. When a TBI occurs, the neutrophils attach to the brain at the site of the injury, allowing the team to collect images of the injury.
The Norfolk Personal Injury Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley applaud the advancements being made in the treatment of TBIs and are hopeful to see further research conducted in the field of brain injury treatment in the future as well.
