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Brain Sciences
Special Issues
Advances in Pediatric Neurological Disease Research
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Advances in Pediatric Neurological Disease Research

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Developmental Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 February 2026) | Viewed by 2307

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Milena La Spina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pediatrics Unit and Pediatric Emergency Unit, AOU “Rodolico-San Marco”, “San Marco” Hospital, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
Interests: pediatric emergency medicine; acute care; non-invasive ventilation; neuro-oncology; pharmacology; polysomnography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Silvia Marino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pediatrics Unit and Pediatric Emergency Unit, AOU “Rodolico-San Marco”, “San Marco” Hospital, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
Interests: neurology; non-invasive ventilation; neuro-oncology; pharmacology; polysomnography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The field of pediatric neurology has been constantly expanding in recent years. Improvements in the delivery room and in neonatal intensive care, imaging, and genetic and molecular diagnostics have significantly enhanced our ability to understand and manage these complex disorders. Despite these developments, challenges remain in the early detection, long-term care, quality of life and outcome assessment of pediatric patients.

Pediatric neurological disorders frequently require a multidisciplinary approach, as they often coexist with other condition such as sleep or neuropsychiatric disturbances, genetic syndromes, etc. As a result, researchers and clinicians worldwide must constantly update and refine their knowledge to keep pace with these developments.

The goal is to highlight recent advances in information, diagnostics, and treatment across the wide range of neurological disorders in children. Topics of interest include seizure disorders, hereditary neurologic disease, pediatric stroke, cerebral palsy, neuro-oncology, central nervous system infections and technology innovations in care.
We invite and strongly encourage contributions from researchers engaged in this interdisciplinary area to contribute devoted to advances in neurological disease.

This Special Issue seeks original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and case studies addressing the latest progress, ongoing challenges, and future directions in pediatric neurology. We also welcome studies that explore novel strategies for outcome assessment, treatment planning, and prognostic modelling. Contributions that integrate technological tools, novel therapeutics, and multidisciplinary strategies will be particularly valued.

Dr. Milena La Spina
Dr. Silvia Marino
Guest Editors

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

  • non-invasive ventilation
  • ultrasound
  • epilepsy
  • CNS infection
  • neuro-oncology
  • genetic disease
  • sindromology
  • polysomnography

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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14 pages, 859 KB  
Systematic Review
Assessing Motivation in Cerebral Palsy During Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review
by Daniela De Bartolo, Marco Iosa, Sara Simigliani, Fulvia Di Iulio, Irene Ciancarelli and Giovanni Morone
Brain Sci. 2026, 16(3), 291; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16030291 - 5 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Background: Motivation is widely recognized as a key factor influencing learning and rehabilitation outcomes in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Despite its acknowledged relevance, motivation is rarely assessed systematically in pediatric neurorehabilitation, and there is limited consensus regarding appropriate outcome measures. Objectives: [...] Read more.
Background: Motivation is widely recognized as a key factor influencing learning and rehabilitation outcomes in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Despite its acknowledged relevance, motivation is rarely assessed systematically in pediatric neurorehabilitation, and there is limited consensus regarding appropriate outcome measures. Objectives: This systematic mapping review aimed to examine how motivation-related constructs are assessed in rehabilitation studies involving children with CP, identifying the instruments used and evaluating the extent to which motivation is explicitly measured across different rehabilitation contexts. Methods: The review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD420250651843). PubMed and Scopus were searched for studies published between 2013 and 2025. Eligible studies included rehabilitation interventions for children with CP that incorporated a clearly defined motivation-related outcome. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute tools and the RoB 2 tool. Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, including 109 subjects, comprising randomized controlled trials and case series. Most studies involved children with mild to moderate motor impairment (GMFCS or MACS levels I–II). Motivation was assessed through heterogeneous approaches, including self-efficacy, mastery motivation, participation, adherence, and intrinsic motivation, with data collected from children, parents, therapists, or dyads. Conclusions: Although motivation is frequently cited as a critical component of effective rehabilitation in children with CP, its assessment remains inconsistent and methodologically fragmented. This mapping review, based on a limited and heterogeneous evidence base, highlights the need for standardized, validated, and developmentally appropriate tools to measure motivation-related constructs in pediatric CP rehabilitation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Pediatric Neurological Disease Research)
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18 pages, 1903 KB  
Systematic Review
Post-Varicella Arteriopathy as a Cause of Pediatric Arterial Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review and Case Report
by Martina Testaì, Silvia Marino, Giovanna Russo and Milena La Spina
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(12), 1333; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15121333 - 15 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1091
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Post-varicella arteriopathy (PVA) is a significant cause of pediatric arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) that typically involves previously healthy children within 12 months of primary varicella infection, mostly with a monophasic course. Diagnosis is based on clinical and imaging findings, and cerebrospinal fluid [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Post-varicella arteriopathy (PVA) is a significant cause of pediatric arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) that typically involves previously healthy children within 12 months of primary varicella infection, mostly with a monophasic course. Diagnosis is based on clinical and imaging findings, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis may confirm it; treatment is empirical and heterogeneous. We describe a typical case of PVA and present a systematic review of its clinical, radiological, therapeutic, and outcome features. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 and AMSTAR-2 guidelines, data on demographics, clinical presentation, imaging, laboratory confirmation, treatment, and outcomes were extracted across databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus). Results: Forty-seven studies, encompassing 312 pediatric patients, were included. Mean age was 4 years with a median latency of 3.82 months from varicella to neurologic symptoms. Common presentation included hemiparesis, language impairment, and seizures. Imaging findings showed unilateral focal involvement of anterior circulation arteries, basal ganglia infarctions, and, rarely, bilateral or posterior circulation involvement. CSF VZV-DNA PCR and anti-VZV IgG were positive in 39% and 48% of tested patients. Treatment included intravenous acyclovir (34%), corticosteroids (20%), and low-dose aspirin (77%); two patients underwent acute reperfusion therapy (rt-PA or thrombectomy). Outcomes tended to be moderately favorable: 43% achieved full recovery, 45% had residual deficit, and 11% experienced recurrence. Prothrombotic state was reported, and it may influence disease severity. Conclusions: PVA is a rare distinct cause of pediatric stroke, with a generally favorable prognosis quoad vitam. Standardized guidelines and prospective studies are needed to establish evidence-based management. Clinicians should maintain a high suspicion for its diagnosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Pediatric Neurological Disease Research)
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