TY - JOUR VL - 5 Y1 - 2021/// TI - Serum neurofilament light concentration does not increase following exposure to low velocity football heading IS - 3 KW - Soccer KW - heading KW - brain injury KW - axonal damage KW - biomechanics A1 - Austin, K A1 - Lee, BJ A1 - Flood, TR A1 - Toombs, J A1 - Borisova, M A1 - Lauder, M A1 - Heslegrave, A A1 - Zetterberg, H A1 - Smith, NA EP - 194 JF - Science and Medicine in Football PB - TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD UR - https://doi.org/10.1080/24733938.2020.1853210 ID - discovery10118876 N1 - This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions. AV - public N2 - OBJECTIVES: To investigate if heading frequency and impact biomechanics in a single session influence the concentration of serum neurofilament light (NF-L), a sensitive biomarker for axonal damage, up to 7 days after heading incident at ball velocities reflecting basic training drills. METHODS: Forty-four males were randomized into either control (n = 8), 10 header (n = 12), 20 header (n = 12) or 40 header (n = 12) groups. Linear and angular head accelerations were quantified during heading. Venous blood samples were taken at baseline, 6 h, 24 h and 7 days after heading. Serum NF-L was quantified using Quanterix NF-L assay kit on the Simoa HD-1 Platform. RESULTS: erum NF-L did not alter over time (p = 0.44) and was not influenced by number of headers [p = 0.47; mean (95% CI) concentrations at baseline 6.00 pg · ml^{? 1} (5.00?7.00 pg · ml^{? 1}); 6 h post 6.50 pg · ml^{? 1} (5.70?7.29 pg · ml^{? 1}); 24 h post 6.07 pg · ml^{? 1} (5.14?7.01 pg · ml^{? 1}); and 7 days post 6.46 pg · ml^{? 1} (5.45?7.46 pg · ml^{? 1})]. There was no relationship between percentage change in NF-L and summed session linear and angular head accelerations. CONCLUSION: In adult men, heading frequency or impact biomechanics did not affect NF-L response during a single session of headers at ball velocities reflective of basic training tasks. SP - 188 ER -