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Tests and measurements

Neurofilament

A protein released when nerve cells are damaged, measurable in spinal fluid and blood, and used mainly in research.

What it means

Neurofilaments are part of the internal scaffolding of a nerve cell. When nerve cells break down, fragments reach the fluid around them and the bloodstream. Levels are being studied as a way of tracking change and of testing whether a treatment is doing anything.

Why you might hear it

  • It appears constantly in trial results and research news.
  • It may be measured as part of taking part in a study.

People who may help

Where Compass goes into this

About this explanation

These are plain explanations of words you may come across, not advice about your own situation. Where a word matters to a decision, the question pages go into it properly, and your own team is the place to take it.