Figure 2 Hypothetical model of temporal brain changes in traumatic brain injury not complicated by secondary insults Figure 2 | Hypothetical model of temporal brain changes in traumatic brain injury not complicated by secondary insults. After traumatic brain injury, blood–brain barrier disruption and axonal disconnection are thought to occur almost instantaneously, probably together with fast astrocytic and microglial activation and induction of a hypermetabolic state that can induce long-term oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Microglial activation can linger after the initial injury, and can participate in a delayed response along with other neuroinflammatory processes. Wallerian degeneration can continue for months and even years following the injury, and is signified by breakdown of axonal debris distal to the injury. The optimal time point for biomarker sampling depends on the aspect of the TBI process that the biomarker candidate is thought to reflect, and the optimal sampling time for each candidate biomarker must be carefully evaluated in animal models and in human studies by repeated sampling over time. Zetterberg, H. & Blennow, K. (2016) Fluid biomarkers for mild traumatic brain injury and related conditions Nat. Rev. Neurol. doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2016.127