The relationship between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and intimate partner violence (IPV) is increasingly evident and alarming, as physical abuse often focuses on the head, neck, and face. This symposium highlights the framework necessary to understand and approach TBIs that originate from IPV.
Distinct from athletics or warfare-related TBI, the cognitive, somatic, and emotional symptoms of TBI from IPV can also interfere with self-care, caring for families, and strategies to leave an abusive relationship.
The presentation will cover the scope of the epidemic, opportunities to educate service providers, and considerations for assessment and intervention. Dr. Lifshitz will specifically discuss ongoing epidemiological studies and laboratory results on the topic. One published study reports the state-wide epidemiology of concurrent concussion and domestic violence, where the results point to infant boys and child-bearing-age women at the greatest risk.
A laboratory study of TBI during pregnancy (gravida TBI) in mice evaluated the effects on the neurological development of the offspring, and a subsequent study to describe the state-wide epidemiology on 300,000 pregnancies, with ~30,000 TBI/IPV events during pregnancy.