A global collaboration to study intimate partner violence-related head trauma: The ENIGMA consortium IPV working group

Abstract

Intimate partner violence includes psychological aggression, physical violence, sexual violence, and stalking from a current or former intimate partner. Past research suggests that exposure to intimate partner violence can impact cognitive and psychological functioning, as well as neurological outcomes. These seem to be compounded in those who suffer a brain injury as a result of trauma to the head, neck or body due to physical and/or sexual violence. However, our understanding of the neurobehavioral and neurobiological effects of head trauma in this population is limited due to factors including difficulty in accessing/recruiting participants, heterogeneity of samples, and premorbid and comorbid factors that impact outcomes. Thus, the goal of the Enhancing Neuroimaging and Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium Intimate Partner Violence Working Group is to develop a global collaboration that includes researchers, clinicians, and other key community stakeholders. Participation in the working group can include collecting harmonized data, providing data for meta-and mega-analysis across sites, or stakeholder insight on key clinical research questions, promoting safety, participant recruitment and referral to support services. Further, to facilitate the mega-analysis of data across sites within the working group, we provide suggestions for behavioral surveys, cognitive tests, neuroimaging parameters, and genetics that could be used by investigators in the early stages of study design. We anticipate that the harmonization of measures across sites within the working group prior to data collection could increase the statistical power in characterizing how intimate partner violence-related head trauma impacts long-term physical, cognitive, and psychological health.

Challenges and opportunities for harmonization of cross-cultural neuropsychological data.

“…In the interim, although these multicultural measures are being developed and validated, retrospective harmonization of data will be more common for aggregating data from sites collected around the globe. Retrospective harmonization uses advanced statistical approaches to harmonize data collected retrospectively, as is the case with some working groups within the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium focused on clinical phenotyping (e.g., Esopenko et al, 2021). Of note, although these big data approaches have been fruitful and likely lead to a better understanding of disease states (see Thompson et al, 2020), even these large consortium studies lack specific recommendations and analytic strategies for the harmonization of neuropsychological outcome data collected across cultures.…”

COVID-19-induced surge in the severity of gender-based violence might increase the risk for acquired brain injuries

“…These mechanisms may include being kicked, hit with large objects, being shaken, or being slammed against objects. 50 , 51 A TBI from a blunt trauma to the head may influence the brain differently than the injury resulting from blocking of oxygen. 51 As such, ABIs in the IPV population may present with unique symptom profiles.…”

“… 50 , 51 A TBI from a blunt trauma to the head may influence the brain differently than the injury resulting from blocking of oxygen. 51 As such, ABIs in the IPV population may present with unique symptom profiles. 51 …”

“…50,51 A TBI from a blunt trauma to the head may influence the brain differently than the injury resulting from blocking of oxygen. 51 As such, ABIs in the IPV population may present with unique symptom profiles. 51 As the access to in-person appointments at community clinics is limited during COVID-19, 1 a thorough evaluation of signs and symptoms during discrete tele-medicine visits would be valuable in classifying and treating injuries.…”

Brain Injury and Mental Health Among the Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: A Case-Series Exploratory Study

“…Women exposed to physical IPV are more likely to experience psychological distress and cognitive dysfunction relating to brain injury, with one study estimating nearly 75% of survivors may have sustained one or more partner-related brain traumas, where injury severity is negatively associated with cognitive function (i.e., learning, memory, cognitive flexibility) and positively associated with abuse severity and PTSD symptomatology ( Woods, 2000 ; Valera and Berenbaum, 2003 ; Woods et al, 2008 ; Davis, 2014 ; St Ivany and Schminkey, 2016 ; Iverson et al, 2017 ; Campbell et al, 2018 ; Esopenko et al, 2021 ). Women who experience IPV-related TBI are at a heightened risk of worse long-term psychosocial health outcomes, and while some research shows that TBI severity is related to depression and anxiety but independent of PTSD, many studies suggest improved IPV-specific screening tools are critical for more accurate and effective patient care ( Gerber et al, 2014 ; Iverson and Pogoda, 2015 ; Goldin et al, 2016 ; Murray et al, 2016 ; St Ivany and Schminkey, 2016 ; Amoroso and Iverson, 2017 ; Cimino et al, 2019 ; Iverson et al, 2019 , 2020 ; Smirl et al, 2019 ; Haag et al, 2019a , b ; Liu et al, 2020 ; Fortier et al, 2021 ; Meyer et al, 2021 ).…”