Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34003313›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society2022

Neurofilament light chain in patients with a concussion or head impacts: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Eleni Karantali, Dimitrios Kazis, Jack McKenna, Symela Chatzikonstantinou, Fivos Petridis, Ioannis Mavroudis

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
27citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
4.2field-weighted citation impact, top 5% 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

27 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Eleni KarantaliThird Neurological Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. lena.kar@outlook.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1941-0432
Dimitrios KazisThird Neurological Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Jack McKennaDepartment of Neurosciences, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
Symela ChatzikonstantinouThird Neurological Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Fivos PetridisThird Neurological Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Ioannis MavroudisDepartment of Neurosciences, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki · GRLeeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTraumatic brain injury is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the most common and benign form of TBI, usually referred to by the medical term "concussion". The purpose of our systematic review and meta-analysis was to explore the role of serum and CSF neurofilament light chain (NfL) as a potential biomarker in concussion.

methodsWe systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases using specific keywords. As the primary outcome, we assessed CSF or serum NfL levels in patients with concussion and head impacts versus controls. The role of NfL in patients with concussion and head impacts compared to healthy controls was also assessed, as well as in sports-related and military-related conditions.

resultsFrom the initial 617 identified studies, we included 24 studies in our qualitative analysis and 14 studies in our meta-analysis. We found a statistically significant increase of serum NfL in patients suffering from a concussion or head impacts compared to controls (p = 0.0023), highlighting its potential role as a biomarker. From our sub-group analyses, sports-related concussion and mild TBI were mostly correlated with increased serum NfL values. Compared to controls, sports-related concussion was significantly associated with higher NfL levels (p = 0.0015), while no association was noted in patients suffering from head impacts or military-related TBI.

conclusionSerum NfL levels are higher in all patients suffering from concussion compared to healthy controls. The sports-related concussion was specifically associated with higher levels of NfL. Further studies exploring the use of NfL as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in mild TBI and head impacts are needed.

Indexed as

Brain ConcussionBrain Injuries, TraumaticMilitary PersonnelBiomarkersHumansIntermediate FilamentsBiomarkersBiomarkerConcussionHead impactsMeta-analysisMild TBINeurofilament light chain

Identifiers

PMID34003313
OpenAlexW3163640242

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.