Serum cleaved tau does not predict postconcussion syndrome after mild traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to determine if the biomarker for axonal injury, serum cleaved tau (C-tau), predicts postconcussion syndrome (PCS) in adults after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).


METHODS
C-tau was measured from blood obtained in the emergency department. Outcome was assessed at 3 months post injury using the Rivermead Postconcussion Symptoms Questionnaire and Acute Medical Outcomes SF-36v2 Health Survey (SF-36).


RESULTS
Of 50 patients, there were 15 patients with detectable levels of C-tau, 10 patients with abnormal findings on initial head computed tomography (CT) and 22 patients with PCS. One-third of patients with detectable C-tau and 14.3% of patients without detectable C-tau had abnormal findings on head CT (P = .143). Serum C-tau was not detected more frequently in patients with PCS than those without, neither for all patients (P = .115) nor the subgroup with negative head CT (P = .253).


CONCLUSIONS
C-tau is a poor predictor of PCS after mTBI regardless of head CT result.
Ma
Marek
M
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. mamarek@uphs.upenn.edu
Lindsell
Christopher J
CJ
Rosenberry
Clark M
CM
Shaw
George J
GJ
Zemlan
Frank P
FP
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D038223:Post-Concussion Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D016875:tau Proteins
Am J Emerg Med. 2007 May;25(4):391-5
17499655
J Trauma. 2002 Mar;52(3):527-34
11901330
Eur Neurol. 2005;53(1):22-6
15677870
J Neurotrauma. 2004 Aug;21(8):1070-5
15319006
Adv Ther. 2006 Jan-Feb;23(1):12-22
16644603
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1998 Aug;65(2):177-83
9703167
Ann Emerg Med. 2002 Mar;39(3):254-7
11867977
Brain Inj. 2006 Jun;20(7):759-65
16809208
J Neurosurg. 1987 Feb;66(2):234-43
3806205
J Head Trauma Rehabil. 1999 Jun;14(3):211-9
10381974
J Neurol. 1995 Sep;242(9):587-92
8551320
J Rehabil Med. 2005 Jan;37(1):53-7
15788333
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2002 Nov;73(5):542-6
12397148
Brain Inj. 2001 Aug;15(8):715-23
11485611