Traumatic brain injury caused by intimate partner violence
The study examines the relationship between intimate partner violence and brain injuries in women who have experienced violence perpetrated by a current or former partner. The findings are expected to provide knowledge about the effects of intimate partner violence on women’s health and how such injuries should be assessed.
Grundinformation
- Funder: Swedish Research Council
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a global public health issue that impacts more than 500 million women worldwide. When women are victims of intimate partner violence, the great majority results in brain injury (BI), since it is common for male abusers to target the victim’s face, neck, and head. Surprisingly, the association between brain injury and intimate partner violence has not been extensively studied.
We propose a comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinological assessment based on an interdisciplinary longitudinal characterization of IPV-BI associated cognitive, neurological, reproductive, and mental health problems.
Women seeking care at NCK’s specialist clinic at Uppsala University Hospital due to experiences of IPV will be invited to participate in the study. Both women who have been exposed to head trauma or strangulation and women who have been exposed only to psychological violence or other forms of physical violence will be asked to participate, with the latter constituting the control group.
Neuropsychological tests will measure cognition, while reproductive state and use of hormone treatment will be assessed. Magnetic resonance will be performed on a subgroup to investigate head injuries, as well as brain macro- and micro-structural and functional features. Participants will be followed up after one year in order to study the long-term effects of brain injury. The findings from this study are expected to increase knowledge about the effects of IPV on women’s health and how such injuries should be assessed.