Investigating Molecular Footprint in Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Role of Genetics, Epigenetics and Neuroimaging in the Field
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024 | Viewed by 1111
Special Issue Editors
Interests: autism spectrum disorders; neurodevelopmental disorders; molecular underpinning; epigenetic, genetic, and advanced neuroimaging; brain function; brain structure
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Autism spectrum disorders are a group of conditions among neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by sociocommunicative impairment together with repetitive behaviors. Recent estimates report a prevalence of 1/36, suggesting the disorder is a major public health issue. The development of an autistic brain is a highly complex process, which reflects high heterogeneity, as evident from the involvement of various genetic and non-genetic factors which are reflected either in phenotypic expression or neural underpinnings. Indeed, a hallmark of heterogeneity in autism is its multilevel presentation, applicable from genotype through phenotype, throughout development, and manifesting as important clinical differentiation, such as outcome or response to treatment. Evidence from genetic and epigenetic studies is providing the molecular link to neural organization, which is being investigated thanks to the increasing availability of advanced neuroimaging studies, either structural or functional.
We welcome authors to submit original research and review articles contributing to a better understand the following, or related, topics: i) the application of advanced neuroimaging (either structural or functional) techniques in autism spectrum disorders, focused either on neural underpinnings or brain plasticity related to treatment outcome/monitoring; ii) genetic studies in the field of autism; and iii) epigenetics studies in the field of autism.
Dr. Eugenia Conti
Dr. Marco Turi
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- autism spectrum disorders
- neurodevelopmental disorders
- molecular underpinnings
- epigenetic, genetic, and advanced neuroimaging
- brain function
- brain structure
