Detection of salivary ncRNA biomarkers could improve accuracy of concussion diagnosis

A research group from Penn State College of Medicine (PA, USA) has developed a diagnostic model for identifying concussion in individuals with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). The algorithm involves detecting non-coding RNA (ncRNA) biomarkers in the saliva. The authors of the paper, published in Clinical and Translational Medicine, suggest that salivary tests could be used to aid accurate diagnosis of concussion following TBI. “Current [diagnosis] methods rely on accurate symptom reporting and honest performance on neurocognitive testing,” explained lead author of the paper, Steve Hicks (Penn State College of Medicine). “Analyzing microRNA profiles in saliva following a head trauma...