Mechanisms of Action of Environmental Neurotoxicants During Critical Periods of Brain Development
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 3
Special Issue Editor
Interests: nicotine addiction; schizophrenia; comorbidity; animal models of disease; brain development; adolescence as a period of susceptibility; neurotransmission
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Critical periods of brain development are specific windows in early life, marked by neurogenesis and gliogenesis, cellular differentiation, migration, synaptogenesis, and myelination. During these timeframes, the developing nervous system is highly vulnerable to environmental insults. Environmental neurotoxicants—chemical agents such as heavy metals, pesticides, industrial solvents, nanomaterials, and air pollutants—pose a significant threat to neural development during these sensitive windows. Exposure, even at low levels, can disrupt finely tuned molecular and cellular processes, leading to long-term cognitive, behavioral, and emotional deficits. Understanding the mechanisms by which these agents interfere with brain development is crucial for identifying risk factors, improving public health policies, and developing preventive and treatment strategies. This Special Issue aims to explore the diverse mechanisms through which environmental neurotoxicants exert their harmful effects on the developing nervous system, which might include neurotransmitter function disbalance, oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, neuroendocrine disruption, inflammation, and epigenetic modifications.
This Special Issue welcomes research contributions on recent advances in developmental neurotoxicology, including, but not limited to, molecular pathways driving the harmful effects of environmental neurotoxicant exposure during brain development; cognitive, behavioral, and mood disruption resulting from early-life exposure; and the discovery of novel biomarkers for detecting neurodevelopmental toxicity, with potential applications in diagnosis and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Dr. Yael Abreu-Villaça
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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
- environmental neurotoxicants
- developmental neurotoxicity
- critical windows
- animal models
- early exposure
- long-term programming
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.
