Molecular and Genetic Insights into Neuropsychiatric Disorders: From Mechanisms to Management
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: 30 January 2026 | Viewed by 49
Special Issue 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 Moreover, the outdated division between “organic” (assumed to involve visible lesions) and “functional” disorders (assumed to involve molecular or connectivity abnormalities) fails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
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Keywords
- psychiatry
- neurology
- psychotic disorders
- depressive disorders
- neurocognitive disorders
- neuropsychiatry
- genetics
- psychopharmacology
- neuromodulation
- genome-wide association studies (GWAS)
- transcriptomics
- epigenetics
- gene-environment interactions
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