Specifically, we focus on the need for such biomarkers in the management of sportsrelated concussion, the most common cause of mild TBI in young individuals, to prevent longterm neurological sequelae due to concussive or subconcussive blows to the head.Key pointsBiomarkers of neuronal, axonal and astroglial damage could be used to diagnose mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and predict clinical outcomes of patients with head traumaSuch biomarkers could provide important information for medical counselling of atrisk individuals, such as military personnel and concussed athletesCerebrospinal fluid markers are preferred over peripheral blood markers, owing to their increased proximity to the brain and decreased susceptibility to the confounding effects of various extracerebral factorsUltrasensitive assays are needed for reliable quantification of CNSspecific biomarkers in blood, as their concentrations are below the lower limit of detection by most standard immunoassaysClinical studies