Neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and intellectual disability, represent a pressing global public health issue with a steadily increasing prevalence in children. Early life is a critical window for neurodevelopment, during which exposure to diverse risk factors—such as surgical trauma, anesthetic agents, psychosocial trauma, heavy metal contamination, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and nutritional inadequacies—can directly perturb the immature nervous system and trigger neurodevelopmental impairments. Despite growing recognition of this causal link, the complex pathogenic pathways connecting specific risk factors to distinct neurodevelopmental outcomes remain incompletely understood, highlighting the need for innovative research approaches to address this knowledge gap.

Goal

This Research Topic aims to systematically dissect the core mechanisms through which early life exposure to various risk factors (including surgical/anesthetic trauma, psychosocial stress, and environmental pollutants) causes neurodevelopmental disorders. It encourages the application of machine learning and big data mining on public datasets, as well as multi-modal biological research (integrating genomics, transcriptomics, neuroimaging and other modalites), to unravel intricate causal relationships. By synthesizing interdisciplinary insights from pediatrics, neurology, toxicology, data science, and molecular biology, this topic seeks to identify novel diagnostic biomarkers and evidence-based intervention strategies, ultimately alleviating the burden of neurodevelopmental disorders in children worldwide.

Scope and Information for Authors

● Pathogenic mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders induced by surgical trauma or anesthetic exposure in early life.
● Impact of psychosocial trauma and early life stress on neurodevelopmental programming and long-term outcomes.
● Machine learning-driven mining of public datasets to identify risk factor-neurodevelopment disorder associations.
● Multi-modal biological studies (genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, neuroimaging) on risk-induced neurodevelopmental impairment.
● Combined effects of environmental pollutants and other risk factors on pediatric neurodevelopment.
● Novel pharmacological, behavioral, or nutritional intervention strategies targeting risk-induced neurodevelopmental disorders.

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Mechanisms and Interventions for Neurodevelopmental Disorders Following Early-Life Exposure to Risk Factors