Objective Tools to Aid the Diagnosis and Treatment of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 900

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
ICAR UMR 5191, CNRS, ENS de Lyon, Université Lyon 2, Lyon, France
Interests: EEG; dyslexia; ADHD; eye tracker; posture; ASD
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are a group of conditions associated with impairments in brain function and development. In recent years, the reported prevalence of NDDs has risen, likely due to improved diagnostic methods and better training among clinicians serving children and adolescents. A growing body of research has sought to identify phenotypic biomarkers that could support early and accurate diagnosis.

This Special Issue invites researchers to contribute original articles, reviews, and pilot studies that explore how objective tools—such as eye tracking, postural control analysis, EEG, and neuroimaging—can help identify biomarkers and guide interventions for neurodevelopmental disorders. We are particularly interested in studies focusing on conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette syndrome, Rett syndrome, and language disorders, among others.

By bringing together research on both diagnostic and intervention-based applications of these tools, this issue aims to enhance our understanding of the brain structures and cortical networks underlying NDDs, and to promote evidence-based strategies for early detection and tailored support.

Dr. Maria Pia Bucci
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • intervertion training 
  • eye tracker 
  • dyslexia 
  • postural sways 
  • reading 
  • ASD 
  • ADHD 
  • attention 
  • emotion

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

11 pages, 1015 KB  
Article
Immersive Rehabilitation Therapy (MoveR) Improves Postural and Visuo-Attentional Skills in Children with ADHD: A Clinical Study
by Simona Caldani, Ana Moscoso, Alexandre Michel, Eric Acquaviva, Charlotte Gibert, Florent Roger, Richard Delorme and Maria-Pia Bucci
Life 2026, 16(2), 257; https://doi.org/10.3390/life16020257 - 2 Feb 2026
Viewed by 589
Abstract
Background: Motor as well as attentional skills are deficient in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The aim of the present study was to explore whether a short immersive rehabilitation therapy could improve motor and visuo-attentional capabilities in children with ADHD. Methods: [...] Read more.
Background: Motor as well as attentional skills are deficient in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The aim of the present study was to explore whether a short immersive rehabilitation therapy could improve motor and visuo-attentional capabilities in children with ADHD. Methods: Forty children with ADHD participated in this study; IQ-, sex- and age-matched children were splitted in two groups (G1 and G2) of twenty. An unpredictable random sequence was used to allocate a child to group G1 (trained group) or G2 (control group). Oculomotor and postural performance for both groups of children were objectively assessed twice (before and after 16 min) by using an eye tracker and platform. Group G1 only underwent 16 min of immersive rehabilitation therapy, while the control group (G2) had 16 min of resting. The immersive therapy consisted of performing physical movement while training visual discrimination, attention and spatial orientation skills. Results: After 16 min, significant improvements in the fixation area (p = 0.008) and in the number of catch-up saccades during pursuit eye movements (p < 0.001), as well as a smaller postural instability index (PII) (p < 0.001), were observed for the trained group (G1) only. Conclusions: These findings suggest that children with ADHD could benefit from a short immersive therapy to improve both visual–attention and motor performances. This new immersive therapy is a useful tool allowing a better integration of both visual and motor sensory inputs via the cortico/cerebellar network. Follow-up studies on a larger number of children with ADHD will be necessary to explore the eventual possible persistence of such a training effect and imaging works will help to understand where such adaptive mechanisms take place. Full article
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