Important Considerations for Research on Intimate Partner Violence-Related Brain Injury from the ENIGMA Consortium IPV Working Group

Purpose: Women exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) may experience head, neck, and facial trauma, increasing their risk for concomitant brain injury (BI). The study of IPV-BI poses unique challenges due to safety, demographic, biological, and social factors, requiring considerations beyond the commonly used methods employed in BI research. Thus, this special article examines research considerations unique to IPV-BI research to enable future robust investigation. Method: Members of the ENIGMA IPV Working Group (WG), encompassing a multidisciplinary team of researchers, clinicians, community partners, and advocates, described methodological considerations and challenges they encounter in IPV-BI research studies and clinical practice. Results: Key points identified as important research challenges/considerations include: 1) lifetime exposure to single versus repetitive head trauma; 2) biological and social determinants of health; 3) premorbid/comorbid physical and psychological health conditions; and 4) consideration of specific comparison groups. Conclusions: As studies are urgently needed to examine many aspects of IPV-BI, addressing the research challenges in a rigorous way will enable robust examination of the cognitive, psychological, and neurological correlates of IPV-BI, which can in turn, better inform prevention and treatment strategies.