According to BBC Sport, a recent study in rugby union has identified that pitchside saliva tests are successful in diagnosing concussion in 94% of cases.
This is a promising early indicator that this test could be widened to other sports and also other areas such as road traffic collisions etc. although the results are not instant and has not yet been proven to work on women due to a lack of current data.
The BBC article states:-
“The study’s chief investigator, Prof Antonio Belli, said that presented an “opportunity to bang the drum for more of this research to be done in groups not traditionally included”.
Prof Belli described the study’s findings as “game-changing”, adding: “When I see on TV a player is taken off for the medical saliva test, it will be a major achievement.”
Though a laboratory test could be in use within the next few months for elite players, a pitchside test that delivers instant results could be several years away.
The new technology could also be used beyond sport, potentially in general medicine and the military.
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Dr Simon Kemp, the RFU’s medical services director, described the findings as “incredibly exciting” and said the potential for the test was “far bigger than rugby”.
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The saliva test is laboratory-based, but the speed of development in testing following the Covid-19 outbreak could see that evolve quickly.
So very early days but promising signs and we will be watching developments closely.
Read the full article on BBC Sport here
Images and content courtesy of BBC Sport
