SCIENTISTS are developing a pitch-side breathalyser that can show if a footballer or rugby player is suffering from concussion.
A trial involving 40 students could pave the way to making such a device available to professional and amateur clubs.
The aim is to detect chemicals in the breath shown to be associated with concussion after a blow, or series of blows, to the head.
The potentially serious condition is often missed and there is currently no practical, objective way of testing for it.
In the student trial at the University of Birmingham, the researchers will look for correlations between levels of the molecules in blood and urine and rates of concussion among young athletes. The same chemicals can be detected in gases, raising the possibility of a breath test.
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