What is happening in the brain longer-term after you hit your head (TBI/concussion)? Spitz and colleagues
@Brain1878 walk us through plasma biomarkers and clinical neuropsychological outcomes in a fascinating new paper.
academic.oup.com/brain/advan…
Key Points:
- We are becoming more and more concerned about concussion and whether blood biomarkers can be diagnostic and prognostic.
- We need more data on long-term neuropathological processes after TBI.
- The authors suggest that studying biomarkers in the chronic phase is 'vital.'
- They focus on plasma biomarkers following TBI and zoom in on amyloid and tau PET, white matter microarchitecture, brain age and cognitive changes.
- 90 folks with TBI in study.
- Plasma UCH-L1 levels 67% higher.
- P-tau181 27% higher.
- Amyloid and tau PET normal.
Higher P-tau181, UCH-L1, GFAP and NfL = worse white matter microstructure.
- There were some changes in memory/cognitive measures.
My take: The authors opine that collectively the findings MAY represent 'ongoing neuropathology' following a single moderate–severe TBI. Really great to read about the use of plasma biomarkers, imaging and clinical tests over time. My hope is that more groups will perform similar experiments, collect clinical outcomes and when appropriate collect post-mortem brains. The picture is complex, and it is interesting to think about what is happening in the brain longer-term following a concussion.
academic.oup.com/brain/advan… #Parkinsons #TBI #concussion