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Symptom scales to diagnose and manage concussion can be subjective

According to the (CDC), between 1.6 and 3.8 million athletes will experience a sports-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion each year. Despite increased public awareness, clinical guidelines still rely on subjective symptom scales to diagnose and manage concussions. Furthermore, there are currently no biological tests to diagnose mTBI.

Biomarkers found in saliva may distinguish mTBI and parallel symptom recovery

Research we are conducting in collaboration with Penn State College of Medicine and SUNY Upstate Medical University, aims to change that. By analyzing brain-derived biomarkers found in saliva, we have developed a novel diagnostic test for concussion. These biomarkers can confirm mTBI when run through our proprietary artificial intelligence platform.

Results of this research have been published in the journals JAMA Pediatrics, the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, and Clinical Translational Medicine.  In addition, we were recently awarded a $2.3 million grant from the NIH* to further the development of this saliva-based test. 

This research is supported by the National Institutes of Health under Application Number 2 R42 MH111347-02A1 and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Patent awarded for mTBI Saliva Test

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has awarded Quadrant Biosciences and two of its academic partners, the State University of New York Research Foundation and the Penn State Research Foundation, with U.S. Patent No.11,453,914 for the analysis and prediction of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and concussion symptoms. This patent is a transformative piece of intellectual property that Quadrant is using to develop its Clarifi™ mTBI Saliva Test.

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Published Research

Refinement of saliva microRNA biomarkers for sports-related concussion, Journal of Sport and Health Science, August 2021

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Saliva RNA biomarkers predict concussion duration and detect symptom recovery: a comparison with balance and cognitive testing, Journal of Neurology, May 2021

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Saliva microRNA of Cumulative Concussion , International Journal of Molecular Sciences, October 2020

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Diagnosing mild traumatic brain injury using saliva RNA compared to cognitive balance testing, Clinical and Translational Medicine, October 2020

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The Transcriptional Signature of a Runner’s High, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, May, 2019

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Association of Salivary MicroRNA Changes with Prolonged Concussion Symptoms , JAMA Pediatrics, January 2018

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Comparison of serum and saliva miRNAs for identification and characterization of mTBI in adult mixed martial arts fighters, PLOS One, July 2018

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Overlapping MicroRNA Expression in Saliva and Cerebrospinal Fluid Accurately Identifies Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury, Journal of Neurotrauma, November 2017

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Promise of Salivary microRNA for assessing concussion, JAMA Pediatrics, November 2017

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