Observational studyThe journal of headache and pain2026
Serum and CSF neurofilament light chain and glial fibrillary acidic protein levels in idiopathic intracranial hypertension.
Observational study in The journal of headache and pain, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIdiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a neurological disorder marked by increased intracranial pressure (ICP). Neurofilament light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) are established biomarkers of neuroaxonal degeneration and astroglial activation that typically show strong serum-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concordance. However, their behaviour in IIH and the influence of increased ICP on CSF-serum relationship remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate serum and CSF NfL and GFAP levels in IIH, examine their CSF-serum coupling, and assess associations with ophthalmological outcomes.
methodsIn this prospective observational study, newly diagnosed people with IIH (pwIIH) underwent baseline serum and CSF sampling. NfL and GFAP levels were quantified using single-molecule array (Simoa→) technology, with age-, BMI-, and sex-adjustment. CSF-to-serum quotients (QNfL, QGFAP) and albumin-normalized indices were calculated. Outcome measures included: papilledema degree, visual acuity, perimetric mean deviation on automated perimetry, peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer and macular ganglion cell layer thickness measured by optical coherence tomography, and arachnoid optic nerve sheath diameter measured by transbulbar sonography.
resultsThirty pwIIH (mean age 34.1 [SD 10.0], 100.0% female, mean CSF opening pressure [OP] 34.1 cmCSF [3.9], median BMI 35.4 kg/m2 [IQR 32.7–40.8]) were included. We did not observe any relevant associations between fluid biomarkers and ophthalmological outcomes at any time point. Notably, CSF NfL and GFAP levels did not correlate with respective serum levels. In contrast, serum NfL and GFAP levels were inversely associated with CSF OP, and QNfL and QGFAP showed positive associations with CSF OP (QNfL: β = 9.28; 95% CI 2.82, 15.73; p = 0.007; QGFAP: β = 13.00; 95% CI 0.12, 25.88; p = 0.048).
conclusionsNeither NfL nor GFAP levels seem particularly promising as biomarkers for prediction of ophthalmological outcomes in IIH. However, the observed dissociation between serum and CSF biomarkers supports altered CSF dynamics, rather than neuroaxonal or astrocytic injury, as the dominant pathophysiological drivers in the active phase of IIH.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.