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Children
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Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Pediatrics: 2nd Edition
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Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Pediatrics: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Neurology & Neurodevelopmental Disorders".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 November 2025) | Viewed by 4376

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marco Fiore

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC), National Research Council (CNR), Department of Sense Organs, University Sapienza of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 155 Rome, Italy
Interests: neurobiology; endocrinology; neurotrophins; oxidative stress; cancer; toxicology; addiction; antioxidants; polyphenols; alcohol use disorders
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Luigi Tarani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pediatric Department, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: neurodevelopmental disorders
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Neurodevelopmental diseases in children are disabilities associated mainly with the functioning of the brain and nervous system. Neurodevelopmental disorders can affect the child’s ability to think and function normally. Symptoms of behaviour or learning difficulties, autism, brain tumours, or other brain and developmental disorders can appear at birth or in later years. According to recent data, approximately 15% of children in Western countries aged 3 to 17 years are affected by neurodevelopmental disorders. Examples of neurodevelopmental disorders in children include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism including Asperger’s syndrome, developmental coordination disorders (dyspraxia), communication disorders, neurogenetic conditions and impairments in vision and hearing, intellectual disability, conduct disorders, cerebral palsy, and fetal alcohol syndrome. Children with neurodevelopmental disabilities may experience difficulties with learning, language and speech, behaviour, motor skills, memory, or other neurological functions. Though the symptoms and behaviours of neurodevelopmental disabilities often change or evolve as a kid grows older, some incapacities are permanent. The treatment and diagnosis of these diseases can be difficult; treatment often includes a combination of professional therapies, medications, and home- and school-based courses.

Dr. Marco Fiore
Dr. Luigi Tarani
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. Children 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 2400 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

  • neurodevelopment
  • pediatrics
  • brain disorder
  • early disease development
  • therapy and treatment
  • adolescents
  • children
  • central nervous system
  • intellectual disability
  • memory and learning
  • motor skill

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 2909 KB  
Article
Learning and Transfer of Graphomotor Skills in Three 7- to 10-Year-Old Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: Case Reports
by Laureen Josseron, Jérôme Clerc and Caroline Jolly
Children 2025, 12(12), 1674; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12121674 - 9 Dec 2025
Viewed by 222
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) frequently experience handwriting difficulties, or dysgraphia. The association between DCD and dysgraphia has long been observed and described. However, few studies have examined the acquisition and transfer of graphomotor skills in these children, i.e., their ability [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) frequently experience handwriting difficulties, or dysgraphia. The association between DCD and dysgraphia has long been observed and described. However, few studies have examined the acquisition and transfer of graphomotor skills in these children, i.e., their ability to learn new graphic gestures and reuse them in new tasks. The objective of this study was to evaluate the acquisition of pseudo-letters and their transfer to different types of tasks in children with DCD. Methods: Three case studies of children with DCD, with or without an associated dysgraphia, were compared to an age-matched control group. Participants learned to produce six pseudo-letters during an acquisition phase, then transferred their learning to two tasks: the first assessed the transfer of learned strokes to new pseudo-letters, and the second assessed the transfer of stroke sequences to combinations of two or three pseudo-letters. Performances were analyzed on the basis of four variables: handwritten product quality, and three measures reflecting the handwriting process, i.e., velocity, fluency, and the number of stops during writing. Results: Acquisition and transfer abilities differed depending on the presence and severity of dysgraphia. Only the presence of a severe dysgraphia associated with DCD led to a lower quality and a greater on-paper velocity than typically developing children during the learning test. As to transfer, DCD children were able to transfer their learning, even in the presence of a dysgraphia. Only in the case of the second, more distant, transfer task, the presence of a severe dysgraphia led to an increase in velocity and in fluency, and a decrease in the number of stops, in addition to the lower quality. This pattern is typical of handwriting in DCD children with dysgraphia. Conclusions: The acquisition of de novo graphomotor skills depends on the presence and severity of a dysgraphia associated with DCD, but not on the severity of other motor impairments. The further transfer of these skills is preserved in DCD children. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Pediatrics: 2nd Edition)
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16 pages, 863 KB  
Article
Maternal Overweight and Obesity Alter Neurodevelopmental Trajectories During the First Year of Life: Findings from the OBESO Cohort
by Arturo Alejandro Canul-Euan, Jonatan Alejandro Mendoza-Ortega, Juan Mario Solis-Paredes, Héctor Borboa-Olivares, Sandra Martínez-Medina, Carmen Hernández-Chávez, Gabriela Gil-Martínez, Erika Osorio-Valencia, Mariana Torres-Calapiz, Blanca Vianey Suárez-Rico, Isabel González-Ludlow, Carolina Rodríguez-Hernández, Ameyalli Rodríguez-Cano, Enrique Reyes-Muñoz, Ignacio Camacho-Arroyo, Sonia L. Hernandez, Otilia Perichart-Perera and Guadalupe Estrada-Gutierrez
Children 2025, 12(10), 1385; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12101385 - 14 Oct 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Overweight and obesity during pregnancy are metabolic risk factors that may compromise offspring brain development. The first 1000 days of life represent a critical window in which neurodevelopmental trajectories are shaped by intrauterine and early-life exposures. The 6- and 12-month milestones are [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Overweight and obesity during pregnancy are metabolic risk factors that may compromise offspring brain development. The first 1000 days of life represent a critical window in which neurodevelopmental trajectories are shaped by intrauterine and early-life exposures. The 6- and 12-month milestones are key checkpoints where deviations may emerge, and interventions are most effective. This study evaluated the association between maternal pregestational weight status and infant neurodevelopment at 6 and 12 months of age. Methods: Mother and infant pairs from the OBESO perinatal cohort in Mexico City were included. Women in the first trimester of pregnancy were classified as normal weight and overweight/obesity according to their pregestational body mass index (pBMI), calculated from self-reported pre-pregnancy weight. Infant neurodevelopment was assessed at 6 and 12 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development III, Third Edition (BSID-III). Descriptive, bivariate and multiple linear regression analyses with mixed effects correction were conducted. Results: Among 97 mother–infant pairs, infants of mothers with overweight/obesity had lower language and socio-emotional scores at 12 months. Higher maternal pBMI was correlated with lower motor scores at 6 and 12 months, and with lower language scores at 12 months. Longitudinal analysis showed that maternal overweight/obesity was associated with a significant decline in language development from 6 to 12 months. (p = 0.002). Conclusions: Maternal pregestational overweight or obesity may negatively influence early neurodevelopment, particularly affecting language and cognitive domains during the first year of life. These early deficits could reflect alterations in intrauterine programming associated with maternal metabolic status. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Pediatrics: 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 333 KB  
Article
ADHD Children Take More Time to Inhibit Automatic Responses: A Comparison with Anxiety Disorders Using NEPSY-II
by Fabiola Panvino, Valerio Zaccaria, Michela Pica, Nunzia Amitrano, Francesco Pisani and Carlo Di Brina
Children 2025, 12(6), 798; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12060798 - 18 Jun 2025
Viewed by 2599
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety disorders (AD) are prevalent in childhood and adolescence, often presenting with overlapping symptoms. This study aimed to assess cognitive and executive functions—specifically attention, inhibition, and working memory—in children with ADHD, AD, and comorbid ADHD + [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety disorders (AD) are prevalent in childhood and adolescence, often presenting with overlapping symptoms. This study aimed to assess cognitive and executive functions—specifically attention, inhibition, and working memory—in children with ADHD, AD, and comorbid ADHD + AD. It also sought to identify potential neuropsychological markers that differentiate ADHD from AD and ADHD + AD comorbidity. Methods: Cognitive and executive functions were assessed in a sample of 48 school-age children and adolescents (aged 8–15 years) using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) and the NEPSY-II battery. The MASC 2 self-report questionnaire was also used to assess anxiety symptoms. The participants were divided into three groups based on clinical diagnoses: ADHD, AD, and ADHD + AD. Results: No significant group differences emerged in cognitive performance, attention, or working memory. Significant differences emerged in inhibition performance, with children in the AD group demonstrating more efficient inhibition compared to both the ADHD and ADHD + AD groups. Children with ADHD showed longer response times. Better performance on inhibition tasks was associated with more severe anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: These findings suggest that anxiety may modulate specific aspects of executive functioning during tasks requiring attentional and inhibitory control. However, the complex interaction between ADHD and anxiety requires further investigation. This study underscores the importance of distinguishing ADHD from AD based on cognitive and executive profiles, particularly inhibition. In this context, it supports the routine use of the NEPSY-II in combination with the MASC 2 questionnaire to facilitate differential diagnosis in clinical practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Pediatrics: 2nd Edition)
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