Urinary and blood-derived biomarkers indicative of recovery from traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury

Abstract

Background: This study aims to determine if a proton nuclear magnetic resonance-based quantitative metabolic profiling approach can identify novel biomarkers in clinically accessible biofluids that are indicative of both the repair processes and treatment efficacy during recovery from traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. The main hypotheses of this study are (a) that changes in the metabolic profiles following injury can be correlated to the extent of recovery of patients and (b) that biological pathway analysis will provide an insight into the mechanisms behind the repair process. Methods: Patients with spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury were recruited through the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, Alberta. Urine and blood samples were collected from patients initially and again at 6 months post-injury for NMR spectral acquisition. Impact: Metabolomic analysis provides a window into the pathophysiological processes that underlie the recovery process, with insight for clinical application.