Scientists on brink of preventive brain tests

MELBOURNE scientists believe they are on the verge of developing blood and saliva tests to help prevent significant long-term brain damage in Australian rules footballers.

Two Monash studies have shown early warning signs of brain injury can be detected long before serious symptoms occur, providing a chance to avoid long-term damage.

The research has found the impact of playing Aussie rules is so severe that young footballers may be biologically five to six years older than athletes from non-collision sports, suffering damage typically seen in ageing diseases such as dementia.

The researchers say without a major funding boost from leagues and governments, professional and amateur players will continue to be put at risk.

By measuring biomarkers in a player’s saliva, blood and cognitive ability, Monash researcher associate professor Sandy Shultz said footballers could be monitored throughout their careers to determine if they were reaching a stage where it would become too dangerous to continue.

“We are now armed with an evidence base and the technology to move forward and make important changes to address this issue,” Associate Professor Shultz said. “One of the major hurdles is just an absolute lack of funding to do it.

“We can only take it so far before we need a major influx of funding to make a major impact on this issue. The science is ready to go, we just need some funding now.

“Within a five-year timeframe, if we had the appropriate level of funding, I think you would see major advances and changes in the way concussions are managed.”

While the issue of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, has seen the NFL, NHL, governments and philanthropists pour money into concussion research in the US and Canada, Professor Shultz said Australia lagged behind.

Footballers including Graham “Polly” Farmer, Shane Tuck and Danny Frawley suffered from CTE, which can be diagnosed only by examining the brain after death.

AFL veteran Shaun Smith, who got a $1.4m payout after sustaining brain injuries throughout his career, said he believed the study could save players from brain injury.