AUTHOR=Swaney Ella E. K. , Cai Tengyi , Seal Marc L. , Ignjatovic Vera 

TITLE=Blood biomarkers of secondary outcomes following concussion: A systematic review

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2023.989974

DOI=10.3389/fneur.2023.989974

ISSN=1664-2295

ABSTRACT=Blood biomarkers have been identified as an alternative of complementary prognostic tool for secondary outcomes following concussion. This systematic review aimed to summarize the literature on blood biomarkers of secondary outcomes following concussion in both pediatric and adult cohorts. A literature search of Embase, Medline and PubMed was conducted. Two reviewers independently assessed retrieved studies to determine inclusion in systematic review synthesis. A total of 1771 unique studies were retrieved, 58 of which were included in the final synthesis. S100B, GFAP and tau were identified as being associated with secondary outcomes following concussion. However, the validation of these biomarkers has been largely limited by heterogeneous study cohorts and definitions of concussion and mTBI, presenting a hurdle for translation of these markers into clinical practice. Additionally, only 17% of studies were performed in a solely pediatric setting. Adult markers are not appropriate for children, therefore pediatrics specific markers of secondary outcomes following concussion present the biggest gap in this field.