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Concussion Awareness Now (CAN) offers a variety of posters, brochures, infographics, videos and more to educate and raise awareness about concussions.

This case study focuses on a 16-year old student who was in a motor vehicle accident that resulted in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and multiple orthopedic injuries. The multi-disciplinary treatment team developed a plan to support his physical, sensory, cognitive-communication, and social–emotional needs so that he and his family could successfully navigate his return to school and community as well as his preparation for college entrance exams. The medical and school-based teams both recognized the importance of proactive, coordinated communication and integrated management to facilitate attainment of these goals and functional outcomes.

Treatment of persistent post-concussion syndrome requires a holistic approach because patients often have symptoms or difficulty functioning in multiple areas, including vision, vestibular, cognitive, sleep, mood, neck pain and others. Addressing all the affected systems requires a team approach that is, fortunately, becoming more and more common in concussion management. Optometrists and neuro-optometric rehabilitation specialists should be aware of and screen for chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) as a possible post-concussion differential diagnosis.

This study compared serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neuronal ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase (UCH-L1) biomarkers to validated clinical decision rules for detecting intracranial lesions on head CT scans in mild traumatic brain injury patients. In a cohort of 349 patients, the Canadian CT Head Rule (CCHR), New Orleans Criteria (NOC), and GFAP plus UCH-L1 all had 100% sensitivity for detecting lesions. The CCHR had the highest specificity (33%). Combining GFAP levels with the CCHR yielded the best diagnostic performance. These results suggest that combining biomarkers with clinical decision rules improves diagnostic accuracy in detecting intracranial lesions on CT scans. 

The study evaluated plasma biomarkers—ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B)—in patients with acute traumatic brain injury (TBI). A cohort of 109 adult TBI patients was recruited within 6 hours of injury. In a hyperacute subcohort (20 patients), GFAP and UCH-L1 levels were significantly higher in CT-positive patients. Combining GFAP and UCH-L1 improved diagnostic accuracy for intracranial lesions. These findings highlight their clinical utility in TBI assessment.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common in emergency departments (EDs). Assessing TBI patients is challenging due to confounders, and diagnostics rely on nonspecific signs. European practices vary, especially for discharged patients. This study provides practical recommendations for assessing adult TBI patients, focusing on mild cases not needing hospitalization. A multiprofessional panel based on scientific literature and clinical practices offers consensus recommendations. Key findings include practical clinical assessment, biomarker use, and discharge options. The paper emphasizes GFAP and UCH-L1 biomarkers’ utility in ruling out CT-positive injuries. It also discusses risk factors for prolonged recovery and outlines a stepwise approach for ED assessment and follow-up.