A potential mild traumatic brain injury biomarker for older adults: Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein

This article was initially published in the 6/25/26 edition of our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing.

Diagnosing mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) in older adults can be challenging because of symptom overlap with aging-related changes and neurological conditions. However, researchers recently found that plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a blood-based biomarker, can act as an objective indicator of mild traumatic brain injury in older adults. According to a study published in Jama Network Open, researchers Gershon Spitz et al. tested the diagnostic accuracy of four biomarkers: GFAP, ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1), brain-derived tau (BD-tau), and neurofilament light (NfL). Of the four, GFAP had “excellent diagnostic accuracy for mTBI,” using age- and sex- specific thresholds within 72 hours of injury. This study included 89 participants ranging from 60 to 89 years old. Based on the study results, the researchers suggest that plasma biomarkers should be integrated into the diagnostic process for head injury in older adults.