Emotional Dysregulation: From Neurodevelopment to Adult Psychopathology—a Transdiagnostic Perspective
A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Developmental Neuroscience".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 1265
Special Issue Editor
Interests: neurodevelopmental disorders; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; emotional dysregulation; mood disorders; bipolar disorder; affective temperament; psycho-pharmacology; electroconvulsive therapy; psychogeriatrics; neurodegenerative disorders
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Emotional dysregulation (ED) is defined as a failure to regulate emotions, resulting in emotional experiences or expressions that interfere with appropriate goal-directed activity. Clinically, this term is commonly used to describe a phenotype characterized by observable problematic emotional responses and self-reported distressing experiences, including irritability, anxiety, and mood swings.
ED symptoms and/or the inadequate use of regulatory strategies have been repeatedly documented across psychiatric disorders and neurodevelopmental conditions in children, adolescents, and adults, and common neurobiological underpinnings have been suggested. However, several questions remain unanswered regarding the definition of ED and its relationship with specific diagnoses, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or bipolar disorder, including whether ED could represent a marker of severity, identify a specific condition, and/or serve as a mechanistic pathway in the development of psychiatric comorbidity.
This Special Issue will advance our understanding of ED across the lifespan, featuring empirical and theoretical contributions that elucidate its neurobiological mechanisms, longitudinal trajectories, and clinical transdiagnostic significance. We are seeking submissions that provide insights into the occurrence of ED across different psychiatric conditions, the clinical and neurobiological correlates of ED within and across diagnostic categories, and the longitudinal associations between ED and internalizing or externalizing psychopathology across developmental stages.
Dr. Giulio E. Brancati
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- emotional dysregulation
- affective instability
- irritability
- neurodevelopmental disorders
- transdiagnostic psychopathology
- comorbidity
- internalizing disorders
- externalizing disorders
- attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
- mood disorders
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
