Genomics of Brain Disorders 4.0
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: closed (15 July 2023) | Viewed by 18967
Special Issue Editor
Interests: pharmacogenomics; pharmacoepigenetics; genomics of brain disorders; neuroepigenetics; CNS drug development; neurodegenerative disorders; Alzheimer’s disease; Parkinson’s disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue is the continuation of our 2021 Special Issue, "Genomics of Brain Disorders 3.0" (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms/special_issues/genomics_brain3).
Brain disorders represent the third major problem of health and disability in developed countries after cardiovascular disorders and cancer. From a global health perspective, important issues to be addressed with regard to neuropsychiatric disorders (NPDs) are: (i) disease burden (DALYs: disability-adjusted life years; YLDs: years lived with disability; YLLs: years of life lost); (ii) the costs (direct, indirect) of disease; (iii) disease pathogenesis; (iv) the identification of presymptomatic biomarkers; (v) novel targets for drug development; and (vi) personalized treatments with pharmacogenetic procedures for optimizing drug efficacy and safety. NPDs contribute approximately 10% of the global burden of disease. About 30% of all YLDs are assigned to NPDs, especially depression, alcohol use disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and dementia. NPDs are the leading cause of disease burden, responsible for 7.4% of global DALYs and 22.9% of global YLDs. Within NPDs, mental disorders account for 56.7% DALYs, followed by neurological disorders (28.6%) and substance use disorder (14.7%).
The global cost of NPDs is projected to be about US$6 trillion by 2030. An estimated eight million deaths annually are attributed to mental disorders. Approximately 127 million Europeans suffer brain disorders. The total annual cost of brain disorders in Europe is about €386 billion, with €135 billion in direct medical expenditures, €179 billion in indirect costs, and €72 billion in direct non-medical costs. Mental disorders represent €240 billion (62% of the total cost, excluding dementia), followed by neurological diseases (€84 billion, 22%).
The primary cause of most brain disorders is poorly understood. In NPDs there is a convergence of multiple genomic defects distributed across the human genome with epigenetic phenomena and environmental risk factors leading to the phenotypic expression of the disease. In children, neurodevelopmental disorders are determinant for abnormal brain maturation and early mental derailment. In age-related neurodegenerative disorders, a common feature is the presence of intracellular and/or extracellular deposits of abnormally processed proteins that represent prototypical hallmarks probably contributing to premature neuronal death. A better characterization of the genomic background of mental and neurological disorders is necessary for elucidating disease-specific pathogenesis, as well as the identification of accurate biomarkers, and the implementation of novel treatments addressing pathogenic, mechanistic, metabolic, transporter and pleiotropic genes, and their products, associated with specific NPDs.
Prof. Dr. Ramón Cacabelos
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.
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.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.