The last 20 years have seen the advent of new technologies that enhance the diagnosis and prognosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI). There is recognition that TBI affects the brain beyond initial injury, in some cases inciting a progressive neuropathology that leads to chronic impairments. Medical researchers are now searching for biomarkers to detect and monitor this condition. Perhaps the most promising developments are in the biomolecular and neuroimaging domains. Molecular assays can identify proteins indicative of neuronal injury and/or degeneration. Diffusion imaging now allows sensitive evaluations of the brain's cellular microstructure. As the pace of discovery accelerates, it is important to survey the research landscape and identify promising avenues of investigation. In this review, we discuss the potential of molecular and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) biomarkers in TBI research. Integration of these technologies could advance models of disease prognosis, ultimately improving care. To date, however, few studies have explored relationships between molecular and DTI variables in patients with TBI. Here, we provide a short primer on each technology, review the latest research, and discuss how these biomarkers may be incorporated in future studies.

中文翻译：

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创伤性脑损伤的分子和扩散张量成像生物标志物：调查和整合的原则

在过去的 20 年中，新技术的出现提高了创伤性脑损伤 (TBI) 的诊断和预后。人们认识到，TBI 对大脑的影响超出了最初的损伤，在某些情况下会引发导致慢性损伤的进行性神经病理学。医学研究人员现在正在寻找生物标志物来检测和监测这种情况。也许最有希望的发展是在生物分子和神经成像领域。分子分析可以识别指示神经元损伤和/或退化的蛋白质。扩散成像现在可以对大脑的细胞微观结构进行敏感评估。随着发现步伐的加快，重要的是要调查研究前景并确定有希望的调查途径。在本次审查中，我们讨论了分子和扩散张量成像 (DTI) 生物标志物在 TBI 研究中的潜力。这些技术的整合可以推进疾病预后模型，最终改善护理。然而，迄今为止，很少有研究探讨 TBI 患者的分子和 DTI 变量之间的关系。在这里，我们提供每种技术的简短介绍，回顾最新研究，并讨论如何将这些生物标志物纳入未来研究。