OUR APPROACH

Overview of our NEURO-Trauma Assessment Test™

Brazos Neurosciences’ NEURO-Trauma Assessment Test™, utilizes a clinically significant biomarker panel comprised of four unique proteins. The Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP), and Ubiquitin C-Terminal Hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1) are used to assess glial and neuronal damage within the brain. Elevated GFAP and UCH-L1 levels indicate ongoing injury and can be used to monitor TBI severity over time and track therapeutic efficacy.

The panel also includes two new biomarkers, the S100ß protein, as well as NF-H. The S100ß protein is a small calcium-binding protein that is predominantly found in the brain, specifically in astrocytes and certain other glial cells. S100ß is considered a useful biomarker because its levels in the blood correlate with the severity and outcome of TBI in various studies. NF-H, a neurofilament protein, is a structural protein that helps construct the cytoskeleton of the axonal processes of neurons. NF testing may lead imaging findings long before they may be seen on images and can serve as an early predictor of DTI (diffusion tensor imaging) findings and DAI (diffuse axonal injury) severity.

Additionally, we employ genetic markers such as APOE and MTHFR to assess a patient’s genetic predisposition to recovery outcomes. The presence of the APO ε4 allele or MTHFR variants that affect homocysteine and folate levels in the brain suggest a higher risk of prolonged recovery or complications and correlate with scores on cognitive assessment tests and neuropsychological performance well after the injury.

Together, the testing results enable a tailored management and rehabilitation plan for recovery from injury.

Used in conjunction with imaging, physiological, neuropsychiatric testing, and other markers for mmTBI (mild to moderate TBI), the integration of blood-borne and genetic biomarkers related to brain injury enhances the accuracy of TBI diagnosis and prognosis and can enable the providers and treatment teams to develop personalized patient care plans.

  • The Problem

    Each year, over one million Americans are treated and released from hospital emergency departments as a result of traumatic brain injury (TBI). More than 230,000 people are hospitalized and survive and more than 80,000 people are estimated to be discharged from the hospital with some TBI-related disability. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) categorizes 70,000 to 80,000 deaths each year in the US to be TBI-related.

  • The Solution

    At Brazos Neuroscience we have developed a NEURO-Trauma Assessment Test™ that offers a clear, easy-to-understand report that provides a positive or negative quantitative value and potential prognosis of the patient. The results are critical to determining the length and intensity of treatment necessary to improve patient performance, quality-of-life, and, above all, to prevent transition to chronic cognitive impairment.

  • How The Brazos Test Works

    The NEURO-Trauma Assessment Test™ uses a small sample of blood to determine objectively if a patient is suffering from mild-to-moderate TBI in the acute, post-acute, or long-term/chronic period.

    Our convenient, completely mobile process will manage the end-to-end specimen collection process anywhere in the US. Then our proprietary tests are conducted, using biomarkers found in blood, and our predictive genetic insights, and results are available and shared with the patient’s provider within 7 days.

    Results are presented in a simple, understandable report that provides a positive or negative quantitative value and potential prognosis of the patient.

If you are a medical provider and would like to order our NEURO-Trauma Assessment Test™, please click on the link below: