Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32641529›Full record

ArticleNeurology2020

Time course and diagnostic utility of NfL, tau, GFAP, and UCH-L1 in subacute and chronic TBI.

Pashtun Shahim, Adam Politis, Andre van der Merwe, Brian Moore, Vindhya Ekanayake, Sara M Lippa, Yi-Yu Chou, Dzung L Pham, John A Butman, Ramon Diaz-Arrastia and 5 more

Erratum issued Registry-linked trialOpen access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Neurology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. It is linked to trial NCT06927063 (Long-term Recovery and Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis Disruption After Traumatic Brain Injury), which is not on this map. Cited by 141 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
141citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
20.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06927063 not yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Long-term Recovery and Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis Disruption After Traumatic Brain Injury

Typeobservational_patient_registrySponsorTurku University HospitalRan2025 to 2028Enrolled160ConditionsTraumatic Brain InjuryArmsblood-based protein biomarker assessments, blood-based metabolomic/lipidomic biomarker assessments, Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (brain), Structural magnetic resonance imaging (brain), PET imaging (brain)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

141 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 232 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Pooled it
  9. Pooled it
  10. Pooled it
  11. Trial
  12. The Impact of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia on Neurofilament Light and Phosphorylated Tau in Individuals with a Concussion.Archives of clinical neuropsychology : the official journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists · 2025
    Trial
  13. Article
  14. Observational
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. Research progress on biomarkers of traumatic brain injury.Animal models and experimental medicine · 2026
    Review

81 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors at 1 institution in 3 countries.

Pashtun ShahimFrom the NIH (P.S., A.P., S.M.L., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; National Intrepid Center of Excellence (S.M.L.) and Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (S.M.L.), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD; Department of Neurology (R.D.-A.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL (H.Z.); Department of Neurodegenerative Disease (H.Z.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD. pashtun-poh.shahim@nih.gov.
Adam PolitisFrom the NIH (P.S., A.P., S.M.L., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; National Intrepid Center of Excellence (S.M.L.) and Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (S.M.L.), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD; Department of Neurology (R.D.-A.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL (H.Z.); Department of Neurodegenerative Disease (H.Z.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD.
Andre van der MerweFrom the NIH (P.S., A.P., S.M.L., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; National Intrepid Center of Excellence (S.M.L.) and Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (S.M.L.), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD; Department of Neurology (R.D.-A.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL (H.Z.); Department of Neurodegenerative Disease (H.Z.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD.
Brian MooreFrom the NIH (P.S., A.P., S.M.L., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; National Intrepid Center of Excellence (S.M.L.) and Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (S.M.L.), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD; Department of Neurology (R.D.-A.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL (H.Z.); Department of Neurodegenerative Disease (H.Z.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD.
Vindhya EkanayakeFrom the NIH (P.S., A.P., S.M.L., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; National Intrepid Center of Excellence (S.M.L.) and Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (S.M.L.), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD; Department of Neurology (R.D.-A.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL (H.Z.); Department of Neurodegenerative Disease (H.Z.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD.
Sara M LippaFrom the NIH (P.S., A.P., S.M.L., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; National Intrepid Center of Excellence (S.M.L.) and Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (S.M.L.), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD; Department of Neurology (R.D.-A.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL (H.Z.); Department of Neurodegenerative Disease (H.Z.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD.
Yi-Yu ChouFrom the NIH (P.S., A.P., S.M.L., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; National Intrepid Center of Excellence (S.M.L.) and Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (S.M.L.), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD; Department of Neurology (R.D.-A.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL (H.Z.); Department of Neurodegenerative Disease (H.Z.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD.
Dzung L PhamFrom the NIH (P.S., A.P., S.M.L., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; National Intrepid Center of Excellence (S.M.L.) and Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (S.M.L.), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD; Department of Neurology (R.D.-A.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL (H.Z.); Department of Neurodegenerative Disease (H.Z.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD.
John A ButmanFrom the NIH (P.S., A.P., S.M.L., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; National Intrepid Center of Excellence (S.M.L.) and Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (S.M.L.), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD; Department of Neurology (R.D.-A.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL (H.Z.); Department of Neurodegenerative Disease (H.Z.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD.ORCID 0000-0002-1547-9195
Ramon Diaz-ArrastiaFrom the NIH (P.S., A.P., S.M.L., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; National Intrepid Center of Excellence (S.M.L.) and Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (S.M.L.), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD; Department of Neurology (R.D.-A.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL (H.Z.); Department of Neurodegenerative Disease (H.Z.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD.
Henrik ZetterbergFrom the NIH (P.S., A.P., S.M.L., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; National Intrepid Center of Excellence (S.M.L.) and Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (S.M.L.), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD; Department of Neurology (R.D.-A.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL (H.Z.); Department of Neurodegenerative Disease (H.Z.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD.
Kaj BlennowFrom the NIH (P.S., A.P., S.M.L., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; National Intrepid Center of Excellence (S.M.L.) and Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (S.M.L.), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD; Department of Neurology (R.D.-A.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL (H.Z.); Department of Neurodegenerative Disease (H.Z.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD.
Jessica M GillFrom the NIH (P.S., A.P., S.M.L., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; National Intrepid Center of Excellence (S.M.L.) and Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (S.M.L.), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD; Department of Neurology (R.D.-A.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL (H.Z.); Department of Neurodegenerative Disease (H.Z.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD.
David L BrodyFrom the NIH (P.S., A.P., S.M.L., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; National Intrepid Center of Excellence (S.M.L.) and Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (S.M.L.), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD; Department of Neurology (R.D.-A.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL (H.Z.); Department of Neurodegenerative Disease (H.Z.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD.
Leighton ChanFrom the NIH (P.S., A.P., S.M.L., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., Y.-Y.C., D.L.P., J.A.B., J.M.G., D.L.B., L.C.); The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (P.S., A.v.d.M., B.M., V.E., D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (P.S., H.Z., K.B.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; National Intrepid Center of Excellence (S.M.L.) and Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (S.M.L.), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD; Department of Neurology (R.D.-A.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL (H.Z.); Department of Neurodegenerative Disease (H.Z.), UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (D.L.B.), Bethesda, MD.ORCID 0000-0001-9001-872X
MACOM (United States) · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo determine whether neurofilament light (NfL), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), tau, and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1) measured in serum relate to traumatic brain injury (TBI) diagnosis, injury severity, brain volume, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures of traumatic axonal injury (TAI) in patients with TBI.

methodsPatients with TBI (n = 162) and controls (n = 68) were prospectively enrolled between 2011 and 2019. Patients with TBI also underwent serum, functional outcome, and imaging assessments at 30 (n = 30), 90 (n = 48), and 180 (n = 59) days, and 1 (n = 84), 2 (n = 57), 3 (n = 46), 4 (n = 38), and 5 (n = 29) years after injury.

resultsAt enrollment, patients with TBI had increased serum NfL compared to controls (

conclusionsSerum NfL shows greater diagnostic and prognostic utility than GFAP, tau, and UCH-L1 for subacute and chronic TBI. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class III evidence that serum NfL distinguishes patients with mild TBI from healthy controls.

Indexed as

AdultArea Under CurveAtrophyBiomarkersBrainBrain Injuries, TraumaticChronic DiseaseDiffuse Axonal InjuryDiffusion Tensor ImagingFemaleGlial Fibrillary Acidic ProteinHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeurofilament ProteinsOrgan SizeBiomarkersGFAP protein, humanGlial Fibrillary Acidic ProteinMAPT protein, humanneurofilament protein LNeurofilament Proteinstau ProteinsUbiquitin ThiolesteraseUCHL1 protein, human

Identifiers

PMID32641529
PMCPMC7455355
OpenAlexW3041099631

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.