Translational Neuroscience of Emotion, Cognition, and Behavior: From Mechanisms to Mental Health
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 October 2025 | Viewed by 29
Special Issue Editor
Interests: depression; anxiety; dementia pain; and their comorbidities nature; and translational research in neurological diseases and psychiatric disorders
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The intricate interplay between emotion, cognition, and behavior lies at the heart of the human experience—and at the forefront of translational neuroscience. Understanding how neural circuits and molecular mechanisms shape these domains is critical for decoding the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Despite major advances, current treatments for mental health conditions remain largely symptomatic, with limited efficacy and substantial inter-individual variability. Thus, this Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, titled “Translational Neuroscience of Emotion, Cognition, and Behavior: From Mechanisms to Mental Health”, aims to bridge the gap between fundamental discoveries and clinical applications.
We stand at a pivotal moment where innovative tools such as multi-omics profiling, real-time neuroimaging, and AI-based modeling enable unprecedented insights into brain function and dysfunction. Three topics of interest driving this transformation include but are not limited to the following:
(1) Neuroimmune and gut–brain interactions in mood and cognitive disorders;
(2) Circuit-specific neuromodulation strategies, such as optogenetics and chemogenetics;
(3) Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics in brain tissue to uncover disease-relevant cell states.
These advances hold promise not only for biomarkers and diagnostics but also for the development of mechanism-based interventions.
We welcome original research articles and comprehensive reviews that explore the mechanistic, diagnostic, and therapeutic dimensions of emotion, cognition, and behavior in both health and disease.
Dr. Masaru Tanaka
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
- translational neuroscience
- emotion and cognition
- neurobehavioral mechanisms
- mental health biomarkers
- Neuroimmunology
- brain–gut axis
- optogenetics and behavior
- single-cell transcriptomics
- psychiatric disorders
- neuromodulation therapies
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.
