Heading in the right direction? Saliva test ‘with 94% accuracy’ may be the future for reducing effects of concussion in sport

Concussion is one of the most contentious talking points in sport, with some even arguing that the likes of rugby or American football should be dramatically altered to stave off the effects of head injuries.

However, saliva tests carried out on rugby players in the UK may have found a potential way to reduce the dangers of head trauma in all sport.

In a three-year study, carried out by the University of Birmingham, researchers took saliva samples from 156 Premiership and Championship players who had head injury assessments (HIAs) across the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.

Using microscopic DNA markers in saliva, they made a test which predicted an HIA result with 94 percent accuracy. Ultimately, it may mean that saliva tests can quickly and accurately access whether or not athletes will be allowed to continue to play on after suffering a head injury.

From the study, Dr Valentina Di Pietro said: “A non-invasive and accurate diagnostic test using saliva is a real game changer and may provide an invaluable tool to help clinicians diagnose concussions more consistently and accurately.”

Concussions are found across a range of sports, but perhaps none more so than in American football. A 2020 report from Vox stated that there are approximately 0.41 concussions per NFL game.

The big issue is that when a player returns to the field of play with an undiagnosed concussion, they run the risk of greatly exacerbating the effects of the injury.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is one of the most common results of repeated head trauma. It is remarkably common in American football players.

When former NFL star Aaron Hernandez committed suicide in prison, while serving time for murder, his autopsy results revealed that he had a severe case of CTE – the likes of which had never been seen before in a 27-year-old.

The saliva test could also be revolutionary in football. The English Premier League has recently introduced the concept of concussion substitutes as a way of allowing players with suspected head injuries to leave the field of play, without using one of the team’s three substitutions.

The study's chief investigator, Prof Belli, said concussion biomarkers are present in saliva "within minutes" after an injury. This means that a quick pitch-side test was "theoretically possible", and that the study is intended to expand into that area across the next few years.