Journal article

Prolonged elevation of serum neurofilament light after concussion in male Australian football players

SJ McDonald, WT O’Brien, GF Symons, Z Chen, J Bain, BP Major, D Costello, G Yamakawa, M Sun, RD Brady, B Mitra, R Mychasiuk, TJ O’Brien, SR Shultz

Biomarker Research | BMC | Published : 2021

Open access

Abstract

Background: Biomarkers that can objectively guide the diagnosis of sports-related concussion, and consequent return-to-play decisions, are urgently needed. In this study, we aimed to determine the temporal profile and diagnostic ability of serum levels of neurofilament light (NfL), ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and tau in concussed male and female Australian footballers. Methods: Blood was collected from 28 Australian rules footballers (20 males, 8 females) at 2-, 6-, and 13-days after a diagnosed concussion for comparison to their levels at baseline (i.e. pre-season), and with 27 control players (19 males, 8 females) without a diagn..

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University of Melbourne Researchers