Lifestyle Factors and Cognitive Development in Children

Dear Colleagues,

Childhood is a highly modifiable time during which children learn about and discover the world, as well as a time of rapid change and growth. This Special Issue will examine the complex relationships between lifestyle factors and cognitive development throughout childhood (from birth to 18 years old). Drawing together interdisciplinary research from neuroscience, psychology, nutrition and public health, the Special Issue explores how lifestyle factors, including physical activity, dietary patterns, sleep quality, social engagement, stress, adversity, environmental exposures and others, shape cognitive trajectories from early life through older adolescence. Contributors may present evidence on the mechanisms through which lifestyle interventions may enhance cognitive reserve, neuroplasticity and executive function, while also addressing disparities in access to cognitively enriching environments. The articles featured in this Special Issue will advance our understanding of both protective and risk factors for cognitive outcomes, offering insights that bridge fundamental research with practical applications for education, clinical practice and public policy. By highlighting the malleability of cognitive development through lifestyle factors, this Issue underscores the potential for evidence-based interventions to optimize cognitive health across diverse populations of children. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to capture an informative snapshot of ongoing, cutting-edge research across childhood (0-18 years old) in relation to lifestyle factors and cognitive development. Such topics can include healthy and typical childhood, as well as atypical or disordered childhood, investigations involving prediction and treatment, as well as novel techniques to measure brain health and lifestyle factors during childhood.

Dr. Lauren Raine
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. 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.