Molecular and Genetic Insights into Neuropsychiatric Disorders: From Mechanisms to Management
A Special Issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067) belonging to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 December 2026 | Viewed by 3113
Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Psychiatric disorders are, fundamentally, disorders of the brain. The distinction between psychiatric and neurologic disorders is, at best, arbitrary—often based on historical conventions that no longer reflect contemporary scientific or clinical understanding. Historically, psychiatrists have managed schizophrenia, neurologists have treated Parkinson’s disease, and both specialties have been involved in the care of patients with major neurocognitive disorders (dementia). Moreover, the outdated division between “organic” (assumed to involve visible lesions) and “functional” disorders (assumed to involve molecular or connectivity abnormalities) fails to capture the complexity of clinical practice, particularly in cases with complicated clinical presentations. For instance, patients with schizophrenia often show abnormalities on neuroimaging; those with Parkinson’s disease often experience psychotic symptoms; and individuals with major neurocognitive disorder commonly present with psychotic or depressive symptoms alongside cognitive decline. These overlaps underscore the need to conceptualize central nervous system (CNS) diseases more holistically—as neuropsychiatric disorders.
Scientific inquiry into the genesis of neuropsychiatric illness progresses rapidly, yielding a range of explanatory models spanning genetics, biochemistry, and cellular neuroscience. The focus of much of the research into these illnesses is on various molecular mechanisms to elucidate the pathophysiology of these complex illnesses. These approaches can include, but are not limited to, inquiries into, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), transcriptomics, epigenetics, and gene–environment interactions. Progress in understanding the molecular genesis of these illnesses, combined with parallel inquiry into emerging management strategies (e.g., advances in pharmacology and the explosion of developments in neuromodulation), makes pragmatic advances in the understanding and management of these complex illnesses a major contemporary priority in medicine.
Despite the progress to date in understanding and managing these CNS illnesses, they remain a major source of suffering and disability worldwide. Given the age association of many CNS illnesses, the worldwide aging of the population makes further inquiry into explanatory models even more imperative. The aggregate effect of CNS illness will be more problematic in an aging population. The search for genetic causes of neuropsychiatric illness is an especially important area, as progress in this domain offers the promise of earlier ascertainment. This may well lead to earlier clinical interventions, before patients have experienced chronic morbidity and disability.
Prof. Dr. James Alan Bourgeois
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-anonymized 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
- psychiatry
- neurology
- psychotic disorders
- depressive disorders
- neurocognitive disorders
- neuropsychiatry
- genetics
- psychopharmacology
- neuromodulation
- genome-wide association studies (GWAS)
- transcriptomics
- epigenetics
- gene-environment interactions
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.
