{"id":"neurofilament-light","name":"Neurofilament Light Chain (NfL)","shortName":"NfL","aliases":["NfL","NF-L","Neurofilament Light","Neurofilament Light Chain, Plasma","Neurofilament Light Chain, Serum","Neurofilament Light Chain","Neurofilament light chain protein","Neurofilament Light Chain, P","NFL, Serum","Plasma NfL","Serum NfL"],"abbreviations":["NfL","NF-L","sNfL","pNfL"],"loinc":[{"code":"101281-4","primary":true}],"specimen":"serum-or-plasma","units":[{"ucum":"pg/mL","display":"pg/mL"}],"referenceRanges":[{"population":"20–24","low":0,"high":10.4,"unit":"pg/mL","unitDisplay":"pg/mL","note":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories upper reference limit for EDTA plasma (chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay). Results from other labs and assays are not interchangeable (some assays read far lower and print much lower limits), and serum and plasma are not identical. Mayo lists the age bands by whole years (for example '25 to 29 years'), read here as 25 up to but not including 30.","sources":[{"title":"Neurofilament Light Chain, Plasma (Mayo test ID NFLP)","url":"https://www.testcatalog.org/show/NFLP","publisher":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories Extended Catalog (testcatalog.org)","year":2026}]},{"population":"25–29","low":0,"high":11.9,"unit":"pg/mL","unitDisplay":"pg/mL","note":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories upper reference limit for EDTA plasma (chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay). Results from other labs and assays are not interchangeable (some assays read far lower and print much lower limits), and serum and plasma are not identical.","sources":[{"title":"Neurofilament Light Chain, Plasma (Mayo test ID NFLP)","url":"https://www.testcatalog.org/show/NFLP","publisher":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories Extended Catalog (testcatalog.org)","year":2026}]},{"population":"30–34","low":0,"high":13.5,"unit":"pg/mL","unitDisplay":"pg/mL","note":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories upper reference limit for EDTA plasma (chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay). Results from other labs and assays are not interchangeable (some assays read far lower and print much lower limits), and serum and plasma are not identical.","sources":[{"title":"Neurofilament Light Chain, Plasma (Mayo test ID NFLP)","url":"https://www.testcatalog.org/show/NFLP","publisher":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories Extended Catalog (testcatalog.org)","year":2026}]},{"population":"35–39","low":0,"high":15.3,"unit":"pg/mL","unitDisplay":"pg/mL","note":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories upper reference limit for EDTA plasma (chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay). Results from other labs and assays are not interchangeable (some assays read far lower and print much lower limits), and serum and plasma are not identical.","sources":[{"title":"Neurofilament Light Chain, Plasma (Mayo test ID NFLP)","url":"https://www.testcatalog.org/show/NFLP","publisher":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories Extended Catalog (testcatalog.org)","year":2026}]},{"population":"40–44","low":0,"high":17.3,"unit":"pg/mL","unitDisplay":"pg/mL","note":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories upper reference limit for EDTA plasma (chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay). Results from other labs and assays are not interchangeable (some assays read far lower and print much lower limits), and serum and plasma are not identical.","sources":[{"title":"Neurofilament Light Chain, Plasma (Mayo test ID NFLP)","url":"https://www.testcatalog.org/show/NFLP","publisher":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories Extended Catalog (testcatalog.org)","year":2026}]},{"population":"45–49","low":0,"high":19.7,"unit":"pg/mL","unitDisplay":"pg/mL","note":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories upper reference limit for EDTA plasma (chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay). Results from other labs and assays are not interchangeable (some assays read far lower and print much lower limits), and serum and plasma are not identical.","sources":[{"title":"Neurofilament Light Chain, Plasma (Mayo test ID NFLP)","url":"https://www.testcatalog.org/show/NFLP","publisher":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories Extended Catalog (testcatalog.org)","year":2026}]},{"population":"50–54","low":0,"high":22.4,"unit":"pg/mL","unitDisplay":"pg/mL","note":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories upper reference limit for EDTA plasma (chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay). Results from other labs and assays are not interchangeable (some assays read far lower and print much lower limits), and serum and plasma are not identical.","sources":[{"title":"Neurofilament Light Chain, Plasma (Mayo test ID NFLP)","url":"https://www.testcatalog.org/show/NFLP","publisher":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories Extended Catalog (testcatalog.org)","year":2026}]},{"population":"55–59","low":0,"high":25.4,"unit":"pg/mL","unitDisplay":"pg/mL","note":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories upper reference limit for EDTA plasma (chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay). Results from other labs and assays are not interchangeable (some assays read far lower and print much lower limits), and serum and plasma are not identical.","sources":[{"title":"Neurofilament Light Chain, Plasma (Mayo test ID NFLP)","url":"https://www.testcatalog.org/show/NFLP","publisher":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories Extended Catalog (testcatalog.org)","year":2026}]},{"population":"60–64","low":0,"high":28.8,"unit":"pg/mL","unitDisplay":"pg/mL","note":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories upper reference limit for EDTA plasma (chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay). Results from other labs and assays are not interchangeable (some assays read far lower and print much lower limits), and serum and plasma are not identical.","sources":[{"title":"Neurofilament Light Chain, Plasma (Mayo test ID NFLP)","url":"https://www.testcatalog.org/show/NFLP","publisher":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories Extended Catalog (testcatalog.org)","year":2026}]},{"population":"65–69","low":0,"high":32.7,"unit":"pg/mL","unitDisplay":"pg/mL","note":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories upper reference limit for EDTA plasma (chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay). Results from other labs and assays are not interchangeable (some assays read far lower and print much lower limits), and serum and plasma are not identical.","sources":[{"title":"Neurofilament Light Chain, Plasma (Mayo test ID NFLP)","url":"https://www.testcatalog.org/show/NFLP","publisher":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories Extended Catalog (testcatalog.org)","year":2026}]},{"population":"70–74","low":0,"high":37.1,"unit":"pg/mL","unitDisplay":"pg/mL","note":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories upper reference limit for EDTA plasma (chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay). Results from other labs and assays are not interchangeable (some assays read far lower and print much lower limits), and serum and plasma are not identical.","sources":[{"title":"Neurofilament Light Chain, Plasma (Mayo test ID NFLP)","url":"https://www.testcatalog.org/show/NFLP","publisher":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories Extended Catalog (testcatalog.org)","year":2026}]},{"population":"75–79","low":0,"high":42.1,"unit":"pg/mL","unitDisplay":"pg/mL","note":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories upper reference limit for EDTA plasma (chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay). Results from other labs and assays are not interchangeable (some assays read far lower and print much lower limits), and serum and plasma are not identical.","sources":[{"title":"Neurofilament Light Chain, Plasma (Mayo test ID NFLP)","url":"https://www.testcatalog.org/show/NFLP","publisher":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories Extended Catalog (testcatalog.org)","year":2026}]},{"population":"80–84","low":0,"high":47.8,"unit":"pg/mL","unitDisplay":"pg/mL","note":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories upper reference limit for EDTA plasma (chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay). Results from other labs and assays are not interchangeable (some assays read far lower and print much lower limits), and serum and plasma are not identical.","sources":[{"title":"Neurofilament Light Chain, Plasma (Mayo test ID NFLP)","url":"https://www.testcatalog.org/show/NFLP","publisher":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories Extended Catalog (testcatalog.org)","year":2026}]},{"population":"85+","low":0,"high":54.3,"unit":"pg/mL","unitDisplay":"pg/mL","note":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories upper reference limit for EDTA plasma (chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay). Results from other labs and assays are not interchangeable (some assays read far lower and print much lower limits), and serum and plasma are not identical.","sources":[{"title":"Neurofilament Light Chain, Plasma (Mayo test ID NFLP)","url":"https://www.testcatalog.org/show/NFLP","publisher":"Mayo Clinic Laboratories Extended Catalog (testcatalog.org)","year":2026}]}],"review":{"status":"ai-verified","label":"AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert review","lastReviewed":"2026-10-03"},"summary":"A protein released when nerve cells are injured. Levels rise with age, so labs use age-based ranges, and a high result does not point to one cause.","url":"https://bloodtesttracker.com/markers/neurofilament-light","notice":"Information, not medical advice. Ranges differ between labs, so the range on your own report is the one your result is judged against."}