Healthcare company Abbott has launched its laboratory-based blood test to evaluate concussions or a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

“The test offers a reliable result in 18 minutes to help clinicians quickly evaluate brain injury and triage mTBI patients. The diagnostic tool also helps eliminate the need for CT scans by up to 40 percent with a high degree of certainty eliminating wait time at the hospital and unnecessary exposure to radiation, a note from the company said. The test would be helpful in areas where access to CT systems may be limited, it added.

The traumatic brain injury (TBI) test runs on Abbott’s Alinity i and Architect i1000SR laboratory instruments, available in major hospitals and laboratories including Apollo, Hyderabad and Neuberg Supratech Laboratory, Abbott said. The test measures two biomarkers in the blood - ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) - that, in elevated concentrations, are correlated to brain injury, the note explained.

Ravi Sinha, General Manager and Country Head (Diagnostics), Abbott India said, “Abbott’s TBI blood test improves patient evaluation and delivers reliable results in just minutes helping doctors quickly and accurately rule out the need for a CT scan. This means less time spent in emergency care and less stress for patients and families.”

long-term risks

TBIs can be caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head and can pose short- and long-term risks and nearly one million people are estimated to experience it every year, in India, the note said. Further, they are among the most common neurological disorders worldwide, affecting millions each year, it added.

“In India, 77 percent of head injury referrals were patients with mild TBI. Many people don’t seek medical attention after a head injury, thinking their symptoms aren’t serious,” the note said, stressing screening, detection and early diagnosis.

Published on June 25, 2025