Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.7
3.0
Journals
JCM
Special Issues
Management in Autism Spectrum Disorder: From Biomarkers to Precision Medicine
share announcement

Management in Autism Spectrum Disorder: From Biomarkers to Precision Medicine

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2025 | Viewed by 560

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Michele Roccella

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: neurodevelopmental disorders; encephalopathies; epilepsies; neuromuscular diseases; sleep disorders; rare genetic syndromes; neuropsychological disorders
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Alessandra Carta

E-Mail
Guest Editor Assistant
Unit of Child Neuropsychiatry Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
Interests: neurodevelopmental disorders; immunogenetics; epigenetics of Autism; PANS/PANDAS; child and adolescent psychiatry; child development; adolescent development; developmental psychopathology; autism spectrum disorders; ADHD

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This open access Special Issue of the Journal of Clinical Medicine will cover a wide range of topics related to the study of autism spectrum disorders. The high concordance of autism among monozygotic twins has suggested a decisive role for genetic inheritance. The hypothesis of a Mendelian inheritance has, however, proved inadequate in the face of the very rapid and ubiquitous epidemiological increase. Furthermore, the only partial concordance between monozygotic twins and the recurrence between dizygotic twins higher than that between siblings born from distinct pregnancies has shifted attention to the role of the intrauterine environment and the epigenetic factors and mechanisms that influence and modulate the mechanisms of neurodevelopment (neurogenesis, proliferation, migration, and cellular differentiation, synaptogenesis) in the embryo-fetal period. These considerations are in line with the pathogenetic model, according to which the continuous increase in chronic endocrine-metabolic, immuno-inflammatory, degenerative, and tumoral pathologies would be attributable to the reactive-adaptive epigenetic modifications that the embryo and the fetus implement in the face of an environment of continuous and too rapid transformation (fetal programming). From now on, contributions to this Special Issue are welcome, as they will be published on an ongoing basis, and can be submitted directly online by registering at www.mdpi.com.

Prof. Dr. Michele Roccella
Guest Editor

Dr. Alessandra Carta
Guest Editor Assistant

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. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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

  • autism
  • autism spectrum disorder
  • neurodevelopmental disorders
  • epigenetics of autism
  • genetic inheritance
  • immunogenetics

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 policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 2591 KiB  
Article
Cognitive Brain Networks and Enlarged Perivascular Spaces: Implications for Symptom Severity and Support Needs in Children with Autism
by Stefano Sotgiu, Giuseppe Barisano, Vanna Cavassa, Mariangela Valentina Puci, Maria Alessandra Sotgiu, Angela Nuvoli, Salvatore Masala and Alessandra Carta
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(9), 3029; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14093029 - 27 Apr 2025
Viewed by 173
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The severity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is clinically assessed through a comprehensive evaluation of social communication deficits, restricted interests, repetitive behaviors, and the level of support required (ranging from level 1 to level 3) according to DSM-5 criteria. Along with its [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The severity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is clinically assessed through a comprehensive evaluation of social communication deficits, restricted interests, repetitive behaviors, and the level of support required (ranging from level 1 to level 3) according to DSM-5 criteria. Along with its varied clinical manifestations, the neuroanatomy of ASD is characterized by heterogeneous abnormalities. Notably, brain MRI of children with ASD often reveals an increased number of perivascular spaces (PVSs) compared to typically developing children. Our recent findings indicate that enlarged PVSs (ePVSs) are more common in younger male patients with severe ASD and that specific ePVS locations are significantly associated with ASD symptoms. Methods: In this study, we mapped ePVSs across key regions of three major cognitive networks—the Default Mode Network (DMN), the combined Central Executive/Frontoparietal Network (CEN/FPN), and the Salience Network (SN)—in 36 individuals with different symptom severities and rehabilitation needs due to ASD. We explored how the number, size, and location of PVSs in these networks are related to specific ASD symptoms and the overall need for rehabilitation and support. Results: Our results suggest that ePVSs in the DMN, CEN/FPN, and SN are strongly correlated with the severity of certain ASD symptoms, including verbal deficits, stereotypies, and sensory disturbances. We found a mild association between ePVSs and the level of support needed for daily living and quality of life. Conclusions: Dysfunction in cognitive networks associated with the presence of ePVSs has a significant impact on the severity of ASD symptoms. However, the need for assistance may also be influenced by other comorbid conditions and dysfunctions in smaller, overlapping brain networks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management in Autism Spectrum Disorder: From Biomarkers to Precision Medicine)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-1
Back to TopTop