{
  "abstract": "Background\n\nSerum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) is a blood biomarker of neuroaxonal injury, but its early longitudinal dynamics and prognostic value in clinically heterogeneous acute stroke populations remain insufficiently defined. This study characterized early sNfL changes and examined their association with functional outcome after acute stroke.Methods\n\nThis prospective cohort study consecutively enrolled 104 patients with acute stroke and 86 healthy controls (HCs) between January 2023 and December 2024. Patients were grouped as intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH, n = 28), ischemic stroke treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IS+IVT, n = 33), and ischemic stroke without intravenous thrombolysis (IS-IVT, n = 43). sNfL was measured within 24 h after onset (D1) and on day 7 (D7). Functional outcome was assessed by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 3 and 6 months. Linear mixed-effects models assessed longitudinal sNfL trajectories. Multivariable logistic regression assessed prognostic associations, with the 3-month outcome as the primary endpoint and the 6-month outcome as the secondary endpoint. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) and interaction analyses were exploratory.Results\n\nsNfL increased significantly from D1 to D7 (p < 0.001) and was higher in patients with stroke than in HCs at D1 (p < 0.001). In the linear mixed-effects model adjusted for age and admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, longitudinal sNfL trajectories did not differ significantly among the clinical stroke groups (time × group interaction, p = 0.225). The predominantly mild-to-moderate severity profile may have limited the detection of trajectory differences. In multivariable logistic regression, each 10-pg/mL increase in D1 sNfL was associated with 5% higher odds of poor functional outcome at 3 months (OR = 1.05; 95% CI, 1.00-1.12; p = 0.047) and 7% higher odds at 6 months (OR = 1.07; 95% CI, 1.01-1.14; p = 0.025). D7 sNfL was not independently associated with poor functional outcome after adjustment. Exploratory RCS analyses found no statistical evidence of nonlinearity for D1 sNfL and suggested a nonlinear association between D7 sNfL and 3-month poor functional outcome.Conclusion\n\nsNfL levels increased during the first week after acute stroke. Higher D1 sNfL was associated with poor functional outcome at 3 and 6 months, suggesting potential value for early prognostic assessment.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.",
    "The First School of Medicine, School of Information and Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.",
    "The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.",
    "Clinical Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.",
    "Renji College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.",
    "Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 14,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Guangyong Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yuxin Zhu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Feng Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Changhao Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jin Huang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Weijie Wu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Lei Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Lingling Lin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Yueping Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Anqi Lin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Qinqin Liu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Peipei Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Lidong Zhu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xuerong Huang"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f6r1ym79dy6j8.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fneur.2026.1932102",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13677471",
  "id": "f6r1ym79dy6j8",
  "issns": [
    "1664-2295"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42898277",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2713|Acute Ischemic Stroke Management"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7219794834",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13677471?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13677471",
  "pmid": "42898277",
  "published": "2026-10-05",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f6r1ym79dy6j8.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:37Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42898277",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42898277"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:16Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fneur.2026.1932102",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2026.1932102/full"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2713|Acute Ischemic Stroke Management",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Longitudinal dynamics of serum neurofilament light chain and prognostic value for functional outcome after acute stroke: a prospective cohort study.",
  "title_text": "Longitudinal dynamics of serum neurofilament light chain and prognostic value for functional outcome after acute stroke: a prospective cohort study.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:16Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f6r1ym79dy6j8",
  "venue": "Frontiers in neurology",
  "versions": []
}