{
  "abstract": "Introduction Although as many as 92% of survivors of physical intimate partner violence (IPV) report impacts to the head and/or non-fatal strangulation (NFS) that raise clinical suspicion of brain injury (BI), there are no evidence-based methods to document and characterise BI in this vulnerable population, limited clinical practice guidelines and insufficient understanding about long-term risks for conditions including Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). This leaves most survivors of IPV-caused BI (IPV-BI), overwhelmingly women, without adequate access to medical care and support, safe housing, back-to-school/work accommodations or follow-up care for long-term neurocognitive health. Although traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an established ADRD risk factor, little is known about the attributable risk of ADRD due to IPV-BI, particularly in women.Methods of analysis Our overarching objectives are to (1) use plasma biomarkers as novel tools to assist clinicians to improve diagnosis of IPV-BI at the acute, subacute and chronic stages in a manner sensitive to the needs of this vulnerable population and (2) raise awareness of the importance of considering IPV-BI as a potential ADRD risk factor. A prospective observational study funded by the US Department of Defense (HT9425-24-1-0462), Brain Canada (6200) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (523320-NWT-CAAA-37499) leverages collaborative research at multiple clinical sites in British Columbia to maximise equity, diversity and inclusion among participants, with a target enrolment of n=600 participants.The Advocates, Academics, Survivors and Clinicians to END Intimate Partner Violence Biomarkers study, which is predicated on pre-specified research questions, represents one of the most significant community-based studies on plasma biomarkers affected by an IPV-BI incident. Of particular significance is the fact our study uses robust biomarker approaches being applied in the TBI and ADRD fields to determine how the biomarker profile after IPV-BI compares to typical TBI and the early stage of neurodegenerative disorders.Ethics and dissemination This study was approved by the University of British Columbia Clinical Research Ethics Board (H24-01990, H22-02241 and H16-02792) and the Island Health Research Ethics Board (H22-03510). Upon publication of primary papers, de-identified data and biospecimens will be made widely available, including the US Federal Interagency Traumatic Brain Injury Research (FITBIR) federated database. Our data and integrated knowledge translation activities with persons with lived experience of IPV-BI and those working in the healthcare sector will be synthesised into co-designed and implemented knowledge tools to improve outcomes for survivors of IPV-BI.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Megan I Harper"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Kelly McKinney"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Caroline McLennan"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Shambhu P Adhikari"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Mohammad Ghodsi"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Jennifer G Cooper"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Sophie Stukas"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Naomi Maldonado-Rodroguez"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Andrew Agbay"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Tessa Morelli"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Setareh Nouri Zadeh-Tehrani"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Bradi R Lorenz"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Krystal Rothlander"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Jonathan D Smirl"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Okanagan College, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Colin Wallace"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Georgia F Symons"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Justin Brand"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada",
        "University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Brian R Christie"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Jodie Gawryluk"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Aimee Falkenberg"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Embrace Clinic, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Hannah Varto"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Karen Mason"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Sandy R Shultz"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Paul van Donkelaar"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Cheryl Lea Wellington"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Advocates, Academics, Survivors and Clinicians to END Intimate Partner Violence (ASCEND-IPV) initiative: a prospective observational case–control study protocol to identify plasma biomarkers of intimate partner violence (IPV)-caused brain injury (BI)",
  "uid": "e93260ec-ec12-5e79-8c52-8ec470288809"
}