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Final Program


Final Congress Guide

Clinical Sciences/Health Conditions

300 Section - Ready Assessment of Prognostic Indicators and Diagnostics for Concussion: Evaluating the Diagnostic Utility of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein in Adults with Acute Concussion

Wednesday, May 20, 2026
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM PT
Objectives : The diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) currently relies on subjective clinical criteria such as mechanism of injury, reports of loss of consciousness, post-traumatic amnesia, and acute symptoms (e.g., headache, nausea, dizziness, or photophobia). Blood biomarkers are a promising objective measure to aid in the diagnosis of concussion. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is currently approved by the FDA to predict intracranial abnormalities in adults with suspected mTBI. However, the diagnostic utility of GFAP in adults with mTBI without intracranial abnormalities (i.e., concussion) remains under-investigated. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate whether plasma GFAP is elevated in adults with acute concussion compared to controls.

Design: In this prospective, case-controlled study, we enrolled adults aged 18-65 presenting to the Foothills Medical Centre Emergency Department (ED; Calgary, AB, CAN) with with acute concussion (< 7 days post-injury) based on the 2023 ACRM criteria, which exclude individuals with intracranial abnormalities on CT head. A control group of adults with acute musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries was also recruited. Blood samples were collected in the ED and plasma GFAP was analyzed using Meso Scale Diagnostics S-Plex Neurology Panel 1 assay (Rockville, Maryland, US). A multiple linear regression model was used to compare GFAP concentrations between groups, controlling for age, sex, and time post-injury.

Results: We recruited 150 adults with concussion (39.1±13.5yrs, 50% female) and 75 MSK controls (40.7±14.1yrs, 41.3% female). Participants with concussion had significantly higher GFAP compared to MSK controls (Concussion: 155.1±269.3pg/mL, MSK: 59.4±47.6pg/mL, β=107.9pg/mL, 95%CI=45.7-170.0, p=0.0007). Hafter adjusting for covariates, concussion was associated with a 107.9pg/mL increase in GFAP (95% CI: 45.7–170.0, p=0.0007).

Conclusion: Elevated GFAP in adults with acute concussion compared to MSK controls suggest that GFAP could be a useful objective biomarker to aid in concussion diagnosis in adults with acute concussion.