Scientists from the University of Birmingham said that existing on-pitch examinations to determine whether athletes are fit to play on after a blow to the head "are inadequate and need replacing with more advanced tests that check for chemicals known as 'biomarkers,'" according to Shendruk & Cookson of the FINANCIAL TIMES. The Birmingham University scientists said that on-pitch psychological
tests, including the Int'l Rugby Board’s Pitch Side Concussion
Assessment, "are not sufficient." Birmingham researcher Michael Grey said, "I’m not saying that the test is useless
because it is a step forwards. What I am suggesting is that the test is not good enough to
make that decision." Grey and his Birmingham research partner Professor Tony Belli suggest that "a simple breathalyser
could be developed that is fast and sensitive enough to detect the
biological molecules released into the blood stream following a
concussion."
Belli: "These tests can be miniaturised and they can become relatively inexpensive" (
FINANCIAL TIMES, 9/10).
