ArticleBrain communications2026
Using reference intervals to improve interpretation of youth sport-related concussion biomarkers using a research platform.
Article in Brain communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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15 authors.
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Abstract
Youth sports-related concussion (SRC) is a major health concern. Approximately 67% of Canadian youth participate in sports and recreation, and 93% of head injuries experienced in sports and recreation are concussions. SRCs are challenging to diagnose because symptoms are often subtle, which can affect the reliability of clinical diagnostic methods that are often subjective. As undiagnosed concussions can potentially lead to unfavourable neurological implications, objective diagnostic tools have the potential to improve diagnosis and inform prognosis. Recent research has highlighted the potential utility of plasma neurofilament light (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) for SRC diagnosis, offering a quantitative and cost-effective diagnostic method. However, a major gap in the literature is understanding whether the magnitude of change in NfL and GFAP levels post-SRC exceeds normal variation observed at the population level. This study evaluates NfL and GFAP as diagnostic SRC biomarkers by comparing preseason and post-SRC levels measured up to 28 days after injury to population-based reference intervals. Preseason (uninjured) and post-SRC plasma samples from the Surveillance in High Schools and Community Sports to Reduce Concussions and their Consequences study were quantified with Quanterix's Neurology-4-plex-B assay and compared to previously generated age-matched reference interval. A total of 658 preseason specimens (440 male [67%]; median [range] age, 15.9 [10.4-18.4] years) and 134 post-SRC specimens (72 male [54%]; median [range] age, 16.1 [11.2-18.4] years) were assessed. Median biomarker levels were higher at post-SRC than preseason for both NfL (preseason/post-SRC = 5.1/5.5 pg/ml,
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