BETHESDA, MD — Several studies have found a link between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and an increased likelihood of late-life dementia. The mechanisms driving the relationship have remained elusive, however.
A new study in Current Alzheimer Research suggested that blood-based biomarkers might provide insight into these mechanisms “and serve as useful prognostic indicators of cognitive recovery or decline following a TBI.”1
Led by researchers from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the study’s aim was to examine blood biomarkers within one year of TBI and better understand their relationship with cognitive decline.
The study involved 224 servicemembers and veterans. Of those, 77 were without injury, 37 had a history of bodily injury, 55 had uncomplicated mild TBI and 55 had more severe TBI. Participants underwent a blood draw and neuropsychological assessment within one year of their injury as part of a case-control study. A subsample of 87 study subjects completed a follow-up cognitive assessment.
“In the more severe TBI group, baseline glial fibrillary acidic protein (p=.008) and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (p=.026) were associated with processing speed at baseline, and baseline ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 predicted change in immediate (R2Δ=.244, p=.005) and delayed memory (R2Δ=.390, p=.003) over time,” the authors reported. “In the mild TBI group, higher baseline tau predicted greater negative change in perceptual reasoning (R2Δ=.188, p=.033) and executive functioning (R2Δ=.298, p=.007); higher baseline neurofilament light predicted greater negative change in perceptual reasoning (R2Δ=.211, p=.012).”
The authors concluded that “baseline ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 strongly predicted memory decline in the more severe TBI group, while tau and neurofilament light strongly predicted decline in the mild TBI group.” They added that a blood panel including these biomarkers “could be particularly helpful in identifying those at risk for future cognitive decline following TBI.”
- Lippa SM, Gill J, Brickell TA, Guedes VA, French LM, Lange RT. Blood Biomarkers Predict Future Cognitive Decline after Military-Related Traumatic Brain Injury. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2022;19(5):351-363. doi: 10.2174/1567205019666220330144432. PMID: 35362372.
