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UM Researchers Receive $500,000 NFL Grant to Study Concussions

Grant will go toward creation of a blood test that shows if someone has fully recovered from a head injury

By Justin Franz
A Flathead High School football player slips his helmet back on during a practice at Legends Stadium. Beacon File Photo

Two researchers from the University of Montana received a $500,000 grant from the National Football League and General Electric Co. to study brain injuries.

UM assistant professors Sarj Patel and Tom Rau were among six groups nationwide to receive the grant to study the impact of concussions. The Head Health Challenge research project was established to improve the safety of athletes, members of the military and society overall.

The Head Health Challenge received more than 400 entries from 27 countries and the UM group was part of an initial selection of 16 projects in 2014. As part of that group, the team was awarded $300,000 as well as mentorship and access to GE researchers and industry leaders.

Patel and Rau have been working for the last few years to find a way to use a blood test to determine if someone has fully recovered from a brain injury or concussion. Currently, there is no conclusive way to determine if someone is fully recovered and, if they are not, a subsequent brain injury can prolong recovery time and even cause permanent damage.

“These injuries can be different for everyone and so it’s so hard to determine if someone has fully recovered,” Patel said.

But the UM team believes they have found a solution to that problem. Their research suggests that each time someone sustains a brain injury, certain molecules are released into the blood stream and remain present until the brain is fully recovered. Patel and Rau are attempting to create a blood test in which they can easily identify these molecules (called MicroRNA). The pair has already tested their theory on animals and recently begun working with UM athletes from the football team and woman’s soccer team.

The grant from the NFL will help them expand their research and Patel said they are already working with other college athletes around the country.

“This will allow us to expand our screenings and validate our ideas,” he said.

Patel and Rau said their research is still in its “early stages” but that if everything goes according to plan there could be a blood test that shows if someone has recovered from a concussion in five to 10 years.