Panel of Plasma Protein Biomarkers for Diagnosing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Adults

Author(s): Umema Zafar, Syed Hamid Habib, Shahid Bashir.

Background:Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disorder often associated with repeated head trauma, yet its clinical diagnosis remains challenging. This scoping review aims to identify a panel of plasma protein biomarkers that may serve as diagnostic tools for CTE in adults. Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a predefined search strategy was employed to systematically screen the literature and identify relevant plasma biomarkers. Plasma protein biomarkers were identified through a comprehensive review of databases such as MEDLINE and Google Scholar. These biomarkers were evaluated and ranked based on a rubric with criteria including brain tissue specificity, sensitivity of quantification, detectability in blood, and their utility for CTE diagnosis. Each biomarker was scored on a scale from 1 to 3, where 1 represented the least suitable and 3 the most feasible for CTE screening. Results: Out of the 38 biomarkers, Neurofilament light chain (NfL), phosphorylated tau (p-tau), and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) achieved the highest scores, receiving 12, 12, and 11 points, respectively (out of a maximum of 12). Conclusion: According to this scoring system, NfL, p-tau, and NSE exhibit optimal characteristics for the diagnosis of CTE, demonstrating superior diagnostic potential when compared to other biomarkers. These findings suggest that a targeted biomarker panel could improve the clinical diagnosis of CTE in adult patients.