Concussion patients could benefit from extra brain scan, study finds
Offering patients with concussion a particular type of brain scan could help doctors better assess their condition and develop more effective treatment plans.
A new study, published in the journal JAMA Neurology, found that diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scans can help identify subtle brain injuries that are not visible on standard CT scans.
This is important because concussion is often difficult to diagnose, and many patients are discharged from the emergency department without receiving the appropriate care.
The study involved 150 patients who had been admitted to the emergency department with concussion. The patients were given either a DTI scan or a standard CT scan. The results showed that the DTI scans were able to identify brain injuries in 30% of the patients, while the CT scans only identified injuries in 10% of the patients.
The researchers say that their findings could help improve care for the 15 million people who are hospitalized for traumatic brain injuries each year in Europe.
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