Recent Advances in the Development of Biofluid-Based Prognostic Biomarkers of Diffuse Axonal Injury

Abstract

Even though head injury is a silent pandemic of the century producing immense social and economic impact, predictive models have not been established to develop strategies promoting the development of reliable diagnostic tools and effective therapeutics capable of improving the prognosis. Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that results from a blunt injury to the brain. Discovering biomarkers for DAI have been a matter of debate and research. A number of studies have reported biomarkers that are correlated with severity of TBI but no conclusive and reproducible clinical evidence regarding the same has been put forward till now. Additionally, many DAI biomarkers have limitations so that they cannot be generalized for universal applications. The properties of these biomarkers should be extensively researched along with the development of novel biomarkers to aid important clinical decisions for the benefit of the society. This chapter summarizes the existing biofluid-based biomarkers, critically examines their limitations and highlights the possibilities of a few novel biomolecules as prognostic biomarkers of DAI.