Murdoch Children’s Research Institute study reveals signs a child’s concussion will last longer

Almost a third of children who suffer a concussion can have ongoing symptoms but doctors have had no way of knowing who is at risk — until now.

Almost a third of concussed children have a delayed recovery, but doctors have had no way of knowing whose symptoms will be ongoing — until now.

New Melbourne research has paved the way for a simple blood test that could detect these at-risk children, after scientists found kids whose concussions lingered for more than two weeks also had a lower level of specific blood protein.

The levels — from emergency department blood tests taken within two days of the head knock — will need to be replicated in larger studies.

But Murdoch Children’s Research Institute researcher Ella Swaney said the MCRI-led study was a “really exciting” discovery, given they had no biomarker until now and managed to find one in a small study of just 80 kids.

“Early detection of children at risk of delayed recovery is crucial,” she said.

“Most children will recover from that concussion within two weeks … but there is about 30 per cent of children who have a concussion that will have a delayed recovery.

“The issue with this is we really don’t have any way to identify which children will take longer to recover from a concussion, and therefore sort of need that additional treatment.”

The world-first study, published in the Journal of Neurotrauma on Wednesday, shows a protein called Alpha-1-ACT was “significantly lower” in children who went on to have a delayed recovery.

The sample can be collected in the same way as a simple blood test.

Ms Swaney, a PhD candidate, said the sample “could be collected in the same way as a simple blood test”.

“If it does hold up in further studies, clinicians could really use this to identify children who are in need of treatment,” she said.

She said ongoing concussion symptoms could have a significant impact on children’s health.

“Cognitively, they might get brain fog or feel fatigued and that really impacts their return to school, sport and normal life,” she said.

“Physically they might get headaches or feel sick.

“Emotionally, they might feel sad or anxious.”

Macquarie University’s Australian Proteome Analysis Facility also helped the study.

Melbourne mum Karen Payne — whose teenage daughter Mackenzie Payne, 16, was knocked out playing netball 15 months ago, and suffered ongoing nausea, confusion, memory loss and poor mental health — welcomed the research.

She told the Herald Sun there were still times where she wondered if symptoms were ongoing, and that she’d had no idea a single concussion could linger for so long.

She said the MCRI’s chronic concussion program — involving weekly physiotherapy and psychology — was an “absolute lifesaver” for Mackenzie and any research that could help identify kids in need of treatment would be amazing.

“Anything that can help speed up the process would make a world of difference,” she said.

Mackenzie missed weeks of school and said recovery was slow, “but the intervention helped me return to my normal self again”.