New research conducted on adolescent Canadian athletes participating in high-risk contact sports like football, ice hockey, and rugby found that plasma biomarkers can help determine neuropathology in sports-related concussions. The study involved 849 individuals, with 154 experiencing sport-related concussions (SRC). Biomarkers like plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), ubiquitin c-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1), neurofilament light (NfL), and total tau (t-tau) were analyzed, showing differences between injured and uninjured individuals. The data indicated that higher GFAP levels post-SRC were associated with earlier clearance to return to play, with differences in biomarkers between genders and age groups. These findings support the use of plasma biomarkers in concussion research and assessment.
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Plasma biomarkers help determine sports-related concussion neuropathology
