Assessment of Blood Biomarker Profile After Acute Concussion During Combative Training Among US Military Cadets: A Prospective Study From the NCAA and US Department of Defense CARE Consortium

Validation of protein biomarkers for concussion diagnosis and management in military combative training is important, as these injuries occur outside of traditional health care settings and are generally difficult to diagnose. To investigate acute blood protein levels in military cadets after combative training-associated concussions. This multicenter prospective case-control study was part of a larger cohort study conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the US Department of Defense Concussion Assessment Research and Education (CARE) Consortium from February 20, 2015, to May 31, 2018. The study was performed among cadets from 2 CARE Consortium Advanced Research Core sites: the US Military Academy at West Point and the US Air Force Academy. Cadets who incurred concussions during combative training (concussion group) were compared with cadets who participated in the same combative training exercises but did not incur concussions (contact-control group). Clinical measures and blood sample collection occurred at baseline, the acute postinjury point (