New study findings from a team at the American Academy of Neurology give insight into how a blood test can help investigators understand which people can take years to recover from a concussion. Many with mild concussions completely recover, but some never get their lives back fully, Kenney, a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, said.
Kimbra Kenney, MD, and colleagues found those with a history of >3 concussions were more likely to have high levels of a biomarker called neurofilament light chain—a nerve protein that can be detected in blood when nerve cells are injured or die—than people who did not have a concussion. Increased levels of neurofilament light chain were also linked to more severe symptoms like post-traumatic stress disorder and depression years after the concussion happened.
Read more at: https://www.mdmag.com/medical-news/biomarkers-predict-problems-traumatic-brain-injury