Dr. Campbell-Montalvo was invited to give the opening plenary talk on the second day of the Brain Injury Florida, Inc. Conference (May 14–15, 2026), titled “The Hidden Architecture of TBI Recovery: What Social Networks Teach Us About Neuroplasticity.” Here she shared emerging findings from our ongoing work examining how social networks—the people you are close to—are associated with neural processing following traumatic brain injury (TBI).
The presentation focused on the mechanisms through which social environments may influence neuroplastic recovery after brain injury. Social support strongly influences Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) outcomes, yet the field rarely applies sophisticated social network methods long used in sociology. Instead, TBI research relies on vague, inconsistent definitions of social support, limiting usefulness for providers, survivors, and care partners. Preliminary VA findings suggest that TBI survivors have smaller, more vulnerable social networks, often reduced by marital strain, job loss, and other disruptions. Drawing on emerging neuroanthropological data, this talk explores how network attributes shape treatment response and daily well-being, and offers practical implications for care.
Over the next two years, we will continue longitudinal data collection with 200 participants followed across four study time points. Her goal is to help shape how social networks are assessed and incorporated into standard of care following TBI.
We are grateful to Brain Injury Florida for the invitation and to the many collaborators and participants contributing to this work.