A groundbreaking Australian study has revealed a disturbing link between intimate partner violence and lasting brain trauma, with survivors showing injuries strikingly similar to those seen in professional athletes.
Strangulation and Head Impacts: A Devastating Combination
The research, published in the Journal of Neurotrauma by Monash University, provides compelling evidence that domestic abuse can lead to permanent cognitive damage. The study found that survivors subjected to repeated head impacts or non-fatal strangulation were significantly more likely to experience memory loss, learning disabilities, seizures, and slurred speech.
Lead neuroscientist Georgia Symons explained the stark comparison. "Essentially, what we found is that those with six or more brain injuries, head impacts or non-fatal strangulation had worse learning and memory outcomes than those who hadn't experienced brain injuries from intimate partner violence," she stated.
Perhaps the most alarming statistic from the study is that 84.2% of participants who had experienced a brain injury in the context of abuse had suffered both non-fatal strangulation and a mild traumatic brain injury or concussion.
Echoes of Sports Concussion and a Call for Specialist Care
The findings mirror the well-documented risks in contact sports, where repeated concussions are linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and other neurodegenerative diseases. In 2024, two Australian women with histories of prolonged partner abuse were diagnosed with CTE, marking the country's first such cases linked to domestic violence.
Research fellow Reidar Lystad, who has studied sports concussions, emphasised that domestic violence survivors now join athletes and military veterans as a major at-risk group for long-term brain damage. "If domestic violence is being perpetrated over time, that becomes an increased risk for the development of neurodegenerative disease," Lystad warned. He stressed that referral to brain injury specialists is critical for these patients.
A Critical Gap in Awareness and Support
Advocates highlight a severe disparity in how these injuries are recognised. Phillip Ripper, CEO of No To Violence, pointed out that women suffering repeated concussions and strangulation through family violence are far less likely to be identified or supported than athletes, despite often enduring more severe and frequent trauma.
"There is an enormous gap in awareness and understanding of the severe, often lifelong impacts these injuries have," Ripper said. He identified non-fatal strangulation as a particularly critical warning sign that must be taken more seriously by medical and support services.
The study underscores an urgent need for greater awareness among healthcare providers and support services when screening survivors of intimate partner violence. Recognising the potential for brain injury is the first step towards ensuring victims receive the appropriate, specialised treatment required for these complex and lasting harms.
