This patient resource was created to help you understand traumatic brain injury (TBI), why it
can be difficult to diagnose, and how advanced medical tools – such as blood-based biomarkers and personalized care coordination – can support both your health and your legal case after an injury.
If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident, or other traumatic event, this information is especially important – even if you feel “mostly fine” today. Symptoms of mild to moderate TBI do not always appear immediately and may develop or change over time. In some individuals, symptoms can persist or worsen, affecting physical, cognitive, or emotional functioning.
While many people recover well from TBI, others may experience longer-term effects such as headaches, visual disturbances, dizziness, cognitive difficulties, or seizure-related conditions that require ongoing medical evaluation and management. Early diagnosis and tailored follow-up care can play an important role in supporting recovery and optimizing long-term outcomes.
What is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) occurs when a sudden force disrupts normal brain function.
This can happen due to:
- A direct blow to the head
- Rapid acceleration or deceleration (such as whiplash)
- Blast or impact forces transmitted to the brain
TBI exists on a spectrum:
- Mild TBI (often called a concussion)
- Moderate TBI
- Severe TBI
While severe TBIs are often obvious and immediately treated, mild-to-moderate TBIs are frequently overlooked or under-diagnosed, even though they can have lasting effects.
Each year, approximately 2.8 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with TBI, but many individuals with mild-to-moderate injuries are never formally diagnosed or treated. (American College of Surgeons)
Why Mild-to-Moderate TBI is Often Missed
Historically, mild-to-moderate TBI has been diagnosed using subjective tools, such as symptom questionnaires and patient self-reporting.
While helpful, these tools have important limitations:
- Symptoms may fluctuate day-to-day
- Some symptoms appear weeks or months after injury
- Patients may minimize or misattribute symptoms
- Stress and adrenaline can temporarily mask problems
There is also a knowledge gap among healthcare providers when it comes to diagnosing and treating mild-to-moderate TBI, which can lead to delays in care and poorer long-term outcomes.
Why Imaging (CT or MRI) is Not Always Enough
Many patients assume that a “normal” CT scan or MRI means there is no brain injury.
However:
- CT scans are designed to detect bleeding or skull fractures
- Standard MRIs often do not detect microscopic or cellular-level brain injury
In mild-to-moderate TBI, damage often occurs at the cellular and molecular level, involving inflammation, axonal injury, and disruptionof normal brain signaling – changes that may not appear on conventional imaging.
This means a patient can have real brain injury despite normal imaging results.
Symptoms of Mild-to-moderate TBI
Symptoms can be physical, cognitive, emotional, or sleep-related. They may begin immediately after your accident – or much later.
Common symptoms include:
- Headache or pressure in the head
- Dizziness or balance problems
- Sensitivity to light or noise
- Fatigue
- Memory or concentration difficulties
- Brain fog or slowed thinking
- Mood changes (irritability, anxiety, depression)
- Sleep disturbances
Importantly, symptoms may emerge weeks or months after the injury, which is why early, objective evaluation matters.
The Risk of Late-Onset and Long-Term Effects
Some individuals experience:
- Persistent post-concussive symptoms
- Delayed neurological decline
- Difficulty healing or incomplete recovery
- Increased long-term risk of neurodegenerative disease
These risks are not the same for everyone. Genetics, injury mechanism, and biological response all play a role.
How Biomarker Testing Changes TBI Diagnosis
After an injury, the brain’s support and repair cells – called glial cells – release measurable proteins into the bloodstream. These proteins, known as biomarkers, allow doctors to detect brain injury objectively.
Blood-based biomarker testing can help determine:
- Whether a brain injury occurred
- The biological severity of injury
- Whether the injury is resolving or ongoing
- How your body is responding to treatment
This represents a major advancement in TBI care – moving from subjective symptoms to objective, personalized medicine.
Genetic Markers and Long-Term Risk Assessment
When clinically appropriate, testing may also include genetic markers such as:
- MTHFR – associated with how efficiently your body repairs and recovers
- APOE – associated with long-term neurological resilience and degeneration risk
These markers do not diagnose TBI, but they can provide insight into:
- Why some people may heal more slowly
- Who may benefit from closer monitoring or early intervention
Your Choice and Your Care
Even if biomarker or genetic testing is recommendedby your physician:
- Testing is always your choice
- You may decline testing at any time
- Your care will continue regardless
Your doctor – typically a neurologist – determines what testing is clinically appropriate based on your unique presentation.
How BioConnetiX Supports You
BioConnetiX is not a medical provider. We are a care coordination and administrative services company focused on connecting patients to the right specialists – efficiently and intelligently.
We help by:
- Connecting you with TBI-specialized neurologists and other clinicians licensed in your state
- Reducing long wait times for time-sensitive care
- Coordinating comprehensive neurological evaluations focused on mild-to-moderate TBI assessment
- Assisting your local care team in identifying and consulting with appropriate specialty experts when clinical questions arise
- Connecting your physician with laboratories that perform the specialized diagnostic testing required for TBI evaluation
- Coordinating your blood draw at a convenient location and ensuring the phlebotomist has the correct instructions to properly collect and handle your sample
- Connecting your local care team with molecular pathologists and neuro-intensivists who are experts in interpreting TBI biomarker results and using that information to guide a personalized plan of care based on your unique results
- Coordinating the collection of relevant medical records and test results from participating providers and laboratories, and ensuring that your attorney receives copies of your diagnostic results, medical records, and supporting documentation needed to effectively and efficiently manage this aspect of your case
This coordinated approach allows patients to access advanced, precision-medicine-based care that could otherwise be difficult, time-consuming, and costly to obtain.
Why This Matters In Your Legal Case
In personal injury cases, documentation matters.
Biomarker testing can provide:
- Objective medical evidence of brain injury
- Clear documentation supporting diagnosis and treatment
- Insight into injury severity and recovery trajectory
- Data that helps attorneys accurately present the medical facts of your case
Biomarkers can also be used over time to demonstrate healing, persistence, or response to treatment.
Addressing the Care Gap After Injury
National guidelines – including those from the American College of Surgeons – recognize that many patients experience a care gap after initial injury treatment.
Even patients with moderate or severe TBI often receive limited rehabilitation and follow-up. For mild-to-moderate TBI, this gap is even larger.
BioConnetiX exists to help close that gap – by ensuring patients receive:
- Appropriate specialty evaluation
- Objective diagnostic tools
- Coordinated follow-up care
Our Commitment to Patients
BioConnetiX is committed to becoming a national leader in:
- Patient education
- Objective TBI diagnosis
- Ethical, patient-first use of advanced diagnostics
- Improving access to personalized, data-driven medicine by reducing unnecessary cost, delay, and complexity through efficient coordination and clinical alignment
Our goal is to empower you with knowledge, access, and clarity – so you can focus on healing, while your care team and attorney have the information they need to advocate for you effectively.
Questions?
Your attorney or BioConnetiX care coordinator can help answer questions about next steps, evaluations, or testing options.
You are not alone – and early, informed action matters.
Download & Print a PDF-Formatted Version of this BioConnetiX Patient Resource: Understanding Mild-to-Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) After An Accident: Patient information on symptoms, diagnosis,and coordinated care
Additional Resources
If you would like to learn more about traumatic brain injury (TBI), current best practices in TBI management, and the emerging role of biomarkers and genetics in guiding personalized, objective care, the following resources may be helpful:
American College of Surgeons: 2024 Best Practices Guidelines: The Management of Traumatic Brain Injury
This nationally recognized guideline outlines current standards and recommendations for the evaluation, diagnosis, and management of traumatic brain injury across the full spectrum of severity.
Blood Biomarkers for Traumatic Brain Injury: A Narrative Review of Current Evidence
This peer-reviewed scientific review summarizescurrent research on blood-based biomarkers used in TBI assessment, including GFAP,UCH-L1, S100B, and Neurofilament Light (NF-L), andexplains how these markers support objective diagnosis and monitoring of brain
injury.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772529423010238
These materials are provided for educational purposes only and are not intended to replace medical advice from your treating physicians. Your care team can help interpret how this information applies to your individual situation.