Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 2022, 37(1): 2-4

[The authors] wish to thank Dr John Corrigan for the invitation to orchestrate this topical issue on brain injury (BI) resulting from intimate partner violence (IPV). The articles in this issue address a long-neglected gap in research, education, and practice in both the IPV and BI literature. We include articles on traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by external forces to the head and also potential hypoxic-ischemic brain injuries (HIBIs) from strangulation assaults. With 1 in 3 women globally reporting physical or sexual IPV, and up to 92% of blows being to the head, face, or neck,1 it is imperative that practitioners, decision/policy makers, and affected women be aware of this co-occurrence of IPV and BI and have access to necessary supports. IPV has been called the “shadow” or “parallel pandemic” to COVID-19, with BIs from IPV being recognized as a significantly increased concern now and for the foreseeable future.2,3 Furthermore, addressing violence and abuse among women with TBI has been identified as a research and practice priority including among women with lived experience of TBI and IPV.4,5 As such, the importance of the articles in this issue of the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation (JHTR) should be particularly apparent as they highlight a range of topics pertaining to IPV-related BI, including prevalence data, clinical characteristics, and correlates, promising/tailored interventions as well as health systems data with national policy relevance. (Authors' introduction). This preface introduces this special issue of the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation focused on TBI and intimate partner violence. Some of the articles are open access. Record #7536