Latest news with #traumaticbraininjury
The Guardian
a day ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Domestic violence can affect victims' brain health for life, study suggests
Women who are victims of domestic violence are at a higher risk of traumatic brain injury and mental health conditions for many years after the abuse has ended, a study has found. Almost one in three women around the world experience domestic violence, and researchers say the impact on mental health – such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – can last for decades. The study, by the University of Glasgow and published in the journal BMJ Mental Health, explored the mental health consequences associated with domestic violence and traumatic brain injury. The paper – Intimate partner violence, traumatic brain injury and long-term mental health outcomes in mid-life: The Drake IPV study – looked at data from 632 participants aged between 40 and 59. Fourteen per cent reported having a history of domestic violence with physical abuse. Compared with unexposed participants, those with a history of intimate partner violence-physical abuse (IPV-PA) were associated with a higher exposure of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and a higher lifetime and ongoing diagnoses of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders andPTSD. The analysis also found that even after an average of 27 years since exposure to IPV-PA, the risk of mental health disorders remained just as high. The study concluded: 'Among those reporting exposure to IPV-PA, the majority reported a history of repetitive blows to the head and mild TBI. A history of TBI, in turn, was associated with evidence of adverse mental health outcomes. 'These observations offer initial insights into the potential lifelong brain health consequences of intimate partner violence with physical abuse. 'Given the global prevalence of intimate partner violence, particularly among women, these findings highlight a pressing need for further research in this field, as well as for targeted interventions to raise awareness among policymakers and medical professionals about the potential impact of intimate partner violence with physical abuse on health outcomes across the lifespan.' The work was funded by the Drake Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Medical Research Council, NHS Research Scotland, the Alzheimer's Society, and the Alzheimer's Association. Prof Willie Stewart said: 'Given its prevalence, these findings highlight domestic violence as a public health issue with potential for long-lasting impacts on brain health. Our work also reinforces the need for more research in this previously neglected area.' Dr Graciela Muniz-Terrera, a co-author of the report, said: 'This study highlights the importance of including questions about domestic violence in population research to advance our knowledge about its long-term effects.' In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women's Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines may be found via
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
Impact of domestic violence on mental health ‘can last for decades'
Women who experience domestic violence are at higher risk of traumatic brain injury and mental health conditions almost 30 years after escaping their abusers, a study suggests. Approximately 30% of women internationally experience domestic violence, however the impact on mental health including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can last for decades after physical abuse ends, research showed. A new study from the University of Glasgow explored the mental health consequences associated with domestic violence and traumatic brain injury, and suggested that the impact can last for 27 years after the abuse ends. The study, Intimate partner violence, traumatic brain injury and long-term mental health outcomes in mid-life: The Drake IPV study, is published in the BMJ Mental Health journal, and researchers said the issue had been 'neglected'. Using data from the multi-centre PREVENT Dementia Study, the researchers found that 14% of 632 study participants, women aged 40 to 59 at recruitment, reported a history of domestic violence with physical abuse. Compared with unexposed participants, domestic violence was associated with higher traumatic brain injury exposure, alongside higher lifetime and ongoing diagnoses of mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and PTSD. The risk of ongoing mid-life mental health disorders remained, despite exposure to domestic violence having ceased on average 27 years before assessment, according to the research. A history of traumatic brain injury in those exposed to domestic violence was also associated with increased risk of ongoing PTSD symptoms and concurrent mental health disorders, the study found. The work was funded by the Drake Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Medical Research Council, NHS Research Scotland, the Alzheimer's Society, and the Alzheimer's Association. Professor Willie Stewart said: 'Given its prevalence, these findings highlight domestic violence as a public health issue with potential for long-lasting impacts on brain health. 'Our work also reinforces the need for more research in this previously neglected area.' Dr Graciela Muniz-Terrera, a co-author on the study, said: 'This study highlights the importance of including questions about domestic violence in population research to advance our knowledge about its long-term effects.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Dad surrenders after slamming 5-year-old, causing a ‘brain injury,' deputies say
Miami-Dade deputies spent almost four hours talking a man out of his barricaded apartment after he allegedly slammed his son against a wall, injuring the 5-year-old, and battering two other children Saturday afternoon, authorities say. Around 2 p.m., Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies rushed to International Park apartments, 2055 SW 122nd Ave., after being alerted to a father battering children. Authorities learned Brice Martinez, 33, assaulted his son and hurt his 8- and 2-year-old in the first-floor apartment near Tamiami Park. While caring for his kids, Martinez got upset with his 5-year-old and slammed his head into the wall three times, according to his arrest report. He continued his attack by throwing his two-year-old son on the concrete, causing pain to his back. When his 8-year-old son tried to intervene and help his siblings, Martinez punched him in the face, which caused a 'contusion,' deputies said. The 5-year-old was taken to HCA Kendall Hospital by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, where he had to get five staples to the head. Doctors also said he had a 'frontal hematoma' and was admitted to the hospital with a 'traumatic brain injury.' The 2- and 8-year-old were treated at the apartment complex by fire crews and then released to their mother, Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Spokesperson Samantha Choon said. Martinez barricaded himself inside the apartment and spent hours refusing to listen to the deputies' commands to come out. MDSO's Special Response Team surrounded the building, smashed glass windows and tossed in gas canisters. Deputies initially said he was in the apartment alone, and did not know if he had weapons. 'Time was on our side, and we were going to try to talk to him,' Choon said. '...to convince him to come out of the property to surrender himself. Sometimes that doesn't happen, and they did have to break a couple of windows.' By early afternoon, a negotiator's voice crackled over a megaphone. A chaotic moment posted to the OnlyinDade social media platform captured heavily armed law enforcement officers surrounding the area. 'Come out with your hands up,' a negotiator called out in English and Spanish. 'Let us help you,' Michel Sanchez, owner of a painting company, said he heard the pops of gas canisters and shattered glass. Police came in large numbers with high-powered rifles. Then he witnessed the father surrender. It was 5:30 p.m. Martinez was arrested by deputies. Choon said he would be charged accordingly, but precisely what he will face is unclear. Authorities also did not know who called 911, but praised them for stepping in and raising attention to what could have been a more dangerous situation. 'Whoever called [911], thank you to them,' Choon said. 'Anyone who suspects or believes a child may be being abused, please call us. Say something and report it.' A month before Martinez's arrest Saturday, he'd been charged with violently assaulting his father, court records show. On May 15, Hialeah police officers were called to an apartment complex and discovered a man with blood all over his face, an arrest report read. The victim told authorities his son, Martinez, had beaten him because he wouldn't give him his car keys. The injured man, who was not identified, had swelling in his left eye and jaw, with bruising on his forehead. Martinez was arrested and charged with battery the next day. His court case on the May battery is still open, and he bonded out of jail two weeks ago, records show. Martinez's brush with the law doesn't end there, as he's had a litany of criminal charges filed against him in Miami-Dade and Broward counties over the last decade, court records show. In Broward, Martinez was charged with driving under the influence after he sped a car into a security gate at the FBI's headquarters in Miramar in November 2023. He had taken cocaine and other drugs at the time of the crash. Apart from the beating and crash, Martinez has also faced charges of battery, robbery, criminal mischief and assault of a police officer, firefighter or paramedic. Some of these cases were thrown out, but he was given a seven-year probation sentence for a robbery in 2016.
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Neurosurgons propose a new framework for assessing traumatic brain injuries
Each year in the United States, nearly 5 million adults and children seek medical care for a traumatic brain injury. Now after more than half a century, based on a mountain of data, and a team of international experts, a new proposal published in Lancet Neurology sets forth a new framework to overhaul how to more precisely assess the injuries, and to do a better job in caring for the patients. Corresponding author for the new criteria is Dr. Geoff Manley. Manley is chief of neurosurgery at Zuckerberg General Hospital and a professor of neurosurgery at UC San Francisco. He is also a member of the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences. Manley said the current clinical guidelines are not very precise. For years, trauma centers have used what's called the Glasgow Coma Scale to assess patients. Typically, and generally speaking, the measurement devices patients into three categories of TBIs: mild, moderate, or severe, and the patients are then treated accordingly, and that's a problem according to Manley. He explained how some patients categorized as having 'severe" TBI are often approached with a bias in prognosis, and the families are guided to consider withdrawing life support. Some of these patients have recovered and gone on to live full lives. He added on the other side of the spectrum, some patients diagnosed with "mild" TBIs, or a concussion are often just disregarded and sent home to recover. "And we know from studies that we've done over the last 10 to 15 years, that a number of people with so-called mild TBA actually they're not mild at all," said the neurologist. A case in point: Sean Sanford of San Francisco. Sanford writes fiction and music reviews, is a substitute teacher, and is currently getting his master's in creative writing. He also really loves skateboarding. 8 years ago, he was about to show his good friends a new trick, but he slipped, fell, and hit his head on a concrete ledge. Sean was knocked unconscious. When he came to, he saw his friends and his wife Candice standing over him asking him if he recognized any of them. "I kept repeating myself and being like what are we don't like where are we? What's going on?" Sanford recounted. His friends brought him to Zuckerberg Emergency. Clinicians used the Glasgow Coma Scale and assessed Sean with a bad concussion. Sean told CBS News Bay Area that he would be released, and that the concussion should be able to resolve with rest and time. But Sanford told us the ER team decided, that before they are releasing him, that they would scan his brain. The next thing he knew, he was wheeled into surgery. "They sent me into a surgery room, they called Dr. Manley who wasn't working that day. They called him in and they said we've got a patient who's cracked his skull and its bad and if he doesn't get treatment right now, he's going to die," remembered Sanford Dr. Manley told CBS News Bay Area how SF General follows advanced protocols, but that he would like to provide the benefits and treatments to other trauma centers, especially those located in rural areas, and the patients they serve better tools and more precise chance of a proper assessment. Some patients with mild or moderate TBIs often develop symptoms long after they are dismissed from the hospital, and without follow-up or care, they go on to live debilitating lives. An international coalition of experts and patients came up with the criteria. Manley is one of the corresponding authors. The new framework will soon be phased in at trauma centers across the U.S. on a volunteer basis. The new criteria involve what Manley and the report called the "4 pillars": a clinical exam, biomarker blood tests which can show levels of tissue damage, imaging needed by patients who show certain levels of tissue damage, and then "modifiers" that include a patient's age, gender, mental health, support system, and even prior head injuries. "We know that it's not just what the injury brings to the patient but what the patient brings to the injury," explained Manley on the inclusion of "modifiers". As for Sanford, he needed follow-up care. After the accident, he developed epilepsy and depression. He is getting better, but it's a very slow process. Sanford now meditates and at the family store on Divisadero, helps his wife develop handmade products that promote relaxation. "It's really a place of magic and a place of healing," noted the writer. He still skateboards, but now, always with a helmet.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Brit tourist, 68, dies three months after 'unprovoked' attack on Spanish island left him in a coma with horrific head injuries
A British man has died from his injuries three months after he was attacked 'out of the blue' by a stranger while on holiday in Spain. Retired carpenter Marshall Latham, from Nantwich, Cheshire, was left in a coma with life-changing injuries after he was punched and knocked unconscious after he fell to the ground as he walked back to his apartment in Fuerteventura on December 10. An inquest was opened into the death of Mr Latham - known as Marsh to his friends - at Warrington Coroner's Court last Wednesday. He died on March 16 at the Walton Centre at Aintree Hospital, aged 68, three months after the assault which caused a traumatic brain injury so severe that doctors warned he was unlikely to recover. After being transferred to a hospital in Gran Canaria, he had part of his skull removed, a tracheotomy and a drain on his brain to help ease pressure. Mr Latham also developed pneumonia twice. He was finally repatriated to Aintree Hospital on March 1, before dying just weeks later. A coroner officer requested an inquest be opened due to the cause of death being 'unnatural', Warrington Guardian reported. The inquest has now been suspended until August as Spanish police consider any criminal charges. A 32-year-old British man was reported to have been arrested as he tried to board a flight to Glasgow in the aftermath of the attack. Having been identified from CCTV, the man appeared in court on suspicion of wounding and was released on bail, as the investigation continues. A GoFundMe page set up by Mr Latham's family and friends after his attack to support legal fees not covered by travel insurance, said the holidaymaker had been 'in the wrong place at the wrong time'. Fundraising organiser Neil Cooper wrote on the page, which has so far garnered more than £17,000 said: 'We want to bring Marsh's attacker to justice and although this won't change his medical situation, it will allow his friends and family to know that the person who did this has to face the consequences of their actions. 'Marsh didn't ask for this, he certainly didn't deserve this and it was just a case of him being in the wrong place at the wrong time which has caused him to be in this situation.' In an updated post days after the holidaymaker's death, Mr Cooper said that Marsh had been 'loved by so many people', adding that the family are now pursuing justice for him. He wrote: 'We brought him back to a hospital in the UK last week via air ambulance where he received incredible care and the staff were really great but sadly his health deteriorated and on Sunday we said goodbye to him. 'Getting him back to the UK was really important, there were so many of his friends and family that hadn't seen him. 'He had lots of visitors every day which was lovely and I'm glad so many people got a chance to say goodbye to him. 'The start of December when he was attacked feels like such a long time ago and he had been through so much, he is finally at peace now and is no longer suffering. 'It's more important now than ever that we seek justice for Marsh and we have been back and forth with the solicitors this week understanding how his death changes the case. 'Thank you for all the kind words and messages we have received. It's been really comforting to know that Marsh was loved by so many people.' In the wake of the assault, Mr Latham's brother-in-law told local newspaper The Nantwich News: 'He and Lynn go to Fuerteventura three or four times a year, they have loads of friends over there. 'Lynn had gone back to their apartment, and Marsh stayed for another drink and was walking home when something has happened. 'He was hit by this guy, somewhere near a taxi rank, and he has gone down and hit his head on the concrete floor. 'Witnesses have told police this was a completely unprovoked punch, there was no argument and they did not know each other. 'All we know is that the man they suspect was arrested on a plane as he tried to fly to Glasgow. 'We are also told this man had been thrown out of a bar on the same night before the attack. 'Marsh has never been in any trouble or even had a parking ticket. He was just a chap on holiday with his partner.' Local councillor Allen Gage wrote at the time in a social media post: 'We need justice. 'A much cherished friend of mine, a gentleman that would give you the shirt from his back was sadly attacked and put in a coma while in Spain just before Christmas. 'He literally crossed the road to help someone out - no surprise there. Mr Marshall Latham, 'Marsh' to his friends, continues to fight on in a coma. 'A community fundraiser has been launched to pursue civil justice. Thanks to all those who have contributed. 'Fight on Marsh, we will fight for you too.'
