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Abstract

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue with serious physical and psychological consequences. Among the most severe outcomes are brain injuries (BI), often caused by blows to the head or non-fatal strangulation (NFS). These injuries are frequently underreported and undertreated, leading to neurocognitive impairments that can substantially reduce quality of life. While much research has focused on mental health outcomes such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, far fewer studies have examined the neurocognitive deficits linked to IPV-related BI (IPV-BI). These deficits can affect daily functioning, decision-making, and overall well-being, yet they are often overlooked in clinical care. Purpose: This study compared neurocognitive function between women with IPV-BI and normative controls and explored how neurocognitive performance is related to the extent of IPV-BI exposure. Methods: Neurocognitive domains, including short-term memory, reasoning, concentration, and verbal ability, were assessed using the Creyos Platform. Participants were women aged 20–60, recruited through community support organizations. Cognitive scores were compared with data from a Creyos normative database of approximately 12,000 women using Mann-Whitney U tests. Within the IPV-BI group, multiple regression analyses examined associations between IPV-BI exposure and cognitive outcomes, controlling for comorbidities such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, and adverse childhood experiences. Exploratory analyses also evaluated the effects of age, frequency, recency, severity of IPV-BI, and NFS. Results: IPV-BI survivors performed worse across multiple domains, including attention, verbal short-term memory, visuospatial processing, episodic memory, spatial short-term memory, working memory, response inhibition, mental rotation, planning, and verbal reasoning. Although multiple regression analyses did not reveal significant results, likely due to the small sample size, exploratory findings indicated that factors such as injury frequency and severity influenced certain cognitive outcomes. Conclusion: Women with IPV-BI show poorer neurocognitive performance across a range of domains. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions and support systems, as well as policies that address both the neurocognitive and psychological needs of this population.