Circulating Biomarkers of Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a widespread global health concern, impacting approximately 10 million individuals annually. Beyond the initial acute phase, TBI often results in enduring neurological sequelae. Current diagnostic approaches, including electroencephalogram, computed tomography, and clinical assessments like the Glasgow Coma Score fall short in providing timely and precise TBI characterization. This presentation offers an overview of emerging non-invasive blood-based markers for TBI, encompassing proteins, nucleic acids, and extracellular vesicle-associated markers, with implications of emerging technologies including near-patient testing devices. These advancements hold significant implications for the improved management of TBI, potentially enabling early intervention and more tailored treatment strategies.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review the global impact of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its long-term neurological consequences.

2. Explore the limitations of current TBI diagnostic methods in accurately characterizing and timely identifying TBI.

3. Gain insight into the promising field of non-invasive blood-based markers for TBI, including proteins, nucleic acids, and extracellular vesicle-associated markers.