Plasma Biomarker for Post-concussive Syndrome: A Pilot Study Using an Alternating Current Electro-Kinetic Platform

Area of Science:

• Biomarker discovery
• Neuroscience
• Medical diagnostics

Background:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) diagnosis requires improved technology for biomarker discovery.
• An observational pilot study explored the use of an alternating current electrokinetic (ACE) microchip device for TBI biomarker analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of an ACE microchip for detecting plasma biomarkers in patients with and without minor TBI.
• To correlate biomarker levels with post-concussive symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Blood samples were collected from individuals with and without minor TBI.
• Plasma levels of GFAP, Tau, UCH-L1, and cfDNA were measured using an ACE microchip with immunofluorescent analysis.
• Post-concussive symptoms were assessed using the Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPCSQ).

Main Results:

• GFAP, UCH-L1, and Tau levels were highest in TBI subjects with abnormal head CT scans.
• Plasma GFAP and Tau levels differentiated between minor TBI and non-TBI patients (64-72% sensitivity).
• Biomarker levels strongly correlated with cumulative RPCSQ scores, including sensitivity to noise/light, headache, sleep disturbance, and cognitive symptoms.

Conclusions:

• The ACE microchip device shows proof-of-principle utility for plasma biomarker analysis in minor TBI patients.
• This technology may aid in TBI diagnosis and symptom assessment.
• Further research is warranted to validate these findings in larger cohorts.