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 82
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
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Keywords
- emotional dysregulation
- affective instability
- irritability
- neurodevelopmental disorders
- transdiagnostic psychopathology
- comorbidity
- internalizing disorders
- externalizing disorders
- attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
- mood disorders
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