Document text
Principal Investigator: Carrie Lynn Esopenko
Organization: ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $100,000
Funding agency: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
ABSTRACT – no change from parent grant
Intimate partner violence (IPV), the physical violence, sexual violence, psychological aggression, or stalking by
a current or former intimate partner, is a significant public health concern affecting approximately 10 million
people in the United States annually. Approximately 33% of women exposed to IPV report physical trauma
resulting in heighted risk of head injury in this population. Recent work suggests that anywhere from 40-90% of
women experience head trauma due to IPV. IPV-related head trauma is caused by blunt force trauma, being
pushed or violently shaken, and/or strangulation, which can result in focal trauma or contusions, acceleration
and deceleration injuries, as well as hypoxia and anoxia due to strangulation, respectively. Limited research
has shown that women exposed to IPV with head trauma report higher depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic
stress disorder symptomatology, as well as impaired cognitive function relative to women with IPV and no
exposure to head trauma. Although the clinical features of repeated exposure to head trauma identified in IPV
are similar to the effects observed in military traumatic brain injury (TBI) and sports-related concussion, limited
work has been done to understand IPV-related head trauma, in particular its chronic cognitive and
psychological effects as well as associated brain changes. Through a multi-site research collaboration
consisting of members of the Enhancing NeuroImaging and Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) IPV
Working Group, the proposed study will characterize the cognitive, psychological, and neural profiles of IPV-
related head trauma, as well as determine whether specific symptoms clusters are associated with discernable
IPV subgroups. Furthermore, this proposal initiates the process of creating an IPV study cohort that will be re-
assessed every 5 years to chronically assess brain and behavioral changes associated with IPV-related head
trauma over the lifespan. Semi-structured interviews will be used to obtain IPV specific information such as
abuse and head trauma history and frequency. A comprehensive neuropsychological battery will be used to
determine cognitive and psychological status, while sophisticated neuroimaging techniques will be used to
characterize neural structure, function, and brain metabolites in IPV with exposure to head trauma relative to
IPV without exposure to head trauma. Finally, we will use a data-driven approach to determine whether
symptom clusters differentiate subgroups of IPV. In aim 1, we will identify the cognitive and psychological
profiles of subgroups of IPV. Aim 2 will examine the neuroimaging signatures in subgroups of IPV. In aim 3, we
will determine whether symptom clusters are associated with discernible subgroups of IPV. The results from
this study will provide critical information about the role of IPV-related head trauma in cognitive and
psychological outcomes, as well as the underlying neural changes. This is important not only for understanding
the chronic effects of repetitive brain trauma, but also the identification of distinct subgroups of IPV has direct
implications for development of patient-centered care approaches for IPV.
Terms: <Acceleration><Administrative Supplement><Affect><Aggression><Aggressive behavior><Anoxia><Anxiety><Armed Forces Personnel><Behavioral><Blunt Trauma><Brain><Brain Concussion><Brain Nervous System><Brain Trauma><Bruise><Cerebral Concussion><Chronic><Clinical><Cognitive><Cognitive Disturbance><Cognitive Impairment><Cognitive decline><Cognitive function abnormal><Cohort Studies><Collaborations><Commotio Cerebri><Concurrent Studies><Contusions><Craniocerebral Injuries><Craniocerebral Trauma><Data><Deceleration><Development><Disturbance in cognition><Encephalon><Exposure to><Frequencies><Genetic><Head Injuries><Head Trauma><Height><History><Hypoxia><Hypoxic><Impaired cognition><Injury><Interview><Mental Depression><Mental disorders><Mental health disorders><Meta-Analysis><Military><Military Personnel><Neuropsychologies><Neuropsychology><Outcome><Oxygen Deficiency><PTSD><Patient-Centered Care><Persons><Population><Post-Traumatic Neuroses><Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders><Posttraumatic Neuroses><Process><Psychiatric Disease><Psychiatric Disorder><Public Health><Recording of previous events><Reporting><Research><Risk><Role><Site><Sports><Structure><Subgroup><Techniques><Trauma><Traumatic Brain Injury><United States><Violence><Woman><Work><blunt force trauma><cognitive dysfunction><cognitive function><cognitive loss><concussion><concussive><depression><developmental><experience><high risk><histories><injuries><intimate partner violence><life span><lifespan><member><mental illness><military population><neural><neural imaging><neuro-imaging><neuroimaging><neurological imaging><neuropsychologic><parent grant><post-trauma stress disorder><posttrauma stress disorder><psychiatric illness><psychologic><psychological><psychological disorder><psychological outcomes><sexual violence><sexually violent><social role><symptom cluster><symptomatology><traumatic brain damage><traumatic neurosis><violent><violent behavior><work group><working group>