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Biomedicines
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Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
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Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Neurobiology and Clinical Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 12991

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Charlotte Royeen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Health Sciences, Rush University, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
Interests: interprofessional education; sensory integration and adaptive responses; occupational science; functional neuroscience

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Background: Neurodevelopmental disabilities is a long-standing and overarching term covering a range of developmental challenges related to irregular brain function including, but not limited to, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); autism spectrum disorder (ASD); communication; speech or language disorders; dyslexia and dyscalculia; fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs); global developmental delay (GDD); intellectual disabilities (IDs); neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS); and neurogenic disorders and traumatic brain injury (TBI) in infants, children, and youth. The complexity of growing and aging with a neurodevelopmental disability is now being recognized, along with a lack of societal support which induces aging. Some neurodevelopmental disabilities are recognized to be genetically related, and neurodevelopmental disabilities are diagnosed more frequently in males versus females. Neurodevelopmental disorders result from a combination of genetic and environmental factors, with true genetic determination being the etiology of only a small number of neurodevelopmental conditions. In addition, the consideration of a neurodevelopmental continuum likely presents more accuracy compared to a condition of a discrete condition at a particular point in time, given the strong influence of the environment following the unfolding of neurodevelopmental disorders in etiology and a manifestation of disability. Aims: New research knowledge about neurodevelopmental conditions will be presented in this Special Issue of Biomedicines.

Dr. Charlotte Royeen
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • neurodevelopmental disabilities
  • impairment of growth and development affecting function
  • irregular brain functioning related to learning
  • emotional control
  • memory and social interactions
  • atypical neuronal development resulting in disabilities

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 1956 KiB  
Article
Identification of Neurotransmission and Synaptic Biological Processes Disrupted in Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Interaction Networks and Community Detection Analysis
by Joana Vilela, Hugo Martiniano, Ana Rita Marques, João Xavier Santos, Muhammad Asif, Célia Rasga, Guiomar Oliveira and Astrid Moura Vicente
Biomedicines 2023, 11(11), 2971; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11112971 - 4 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1829
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by communication deficits and repetitive behavioral patterns. Hundreds of candidate genes have been implicated in ASD, including neurotransmission and synaptic (NS) genes; however, the genetic architecture of this disease is far from clear. In [...] Read more.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by communication deficits and repetitive behavioral patterns. Hundreds of candidate genes have been implicated in ASD, including neurotransmission and synaptic (NS) genes; however, the genetic architecture of this disease is far from clear. In this study, we seek to clarify the biological processes affected by NS gene variants identified in individuals with ASD and the global networks that link those processes together. For a curated list of 1216 NS candidate genes, identified in multiple databases and the literature, we searched for ultra-rare (UR) loss-of-function (LoF) variants in the whole-exome sequencing dataset from the Autism Sequencing Consortium (N = 3938 cases). Filtering for population frequency was carried out using gnomAD (N = 60,146 controls). NS genes with UR LoF variants were used to construct a network of protein–protein interactions, and the network’s biological communities were identified by applying the Leiden algorithm. We further explored the expression enrichment of network genes in specific brain regions. We identified 356 variants in 208 genes, with a preponderance of UR LoF variants in the PDE11A and SYTL3 genes. Expression enrichment analysis highlighted several subcortical structures, particularly the basal ganglia. The interaction network defined seven network communities, clustering synaptic and neurotransmitter pathways with several ubiquitous processes that occur in multiple organs and systems. This approach also uncovered biological pathways that are not usually associated with ASD, such as brain cytochromes P450 and brain mitochondrial metabolism. Overall, the community analysis suggests that ASD involves the disruption of synaptic and neurotransmitter pathways but also ubiquitous, but less frequently implicated, biological processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurodevelopmental Disabilities)
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13 pages, 4484 KiB  
Article
Predictive Value of the Münchener Funktionelle Entwicklungsdiagnostik Used to Determine Risk Factors for Motor Development in German Preterm Infants
by Anna Janning, Hanne Lademann and Dirk Olbertz
Biomedicines 2023, 11(10), 2626; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11102626 - 25 Sep 2023
Viewed by 885
Abstract
Early diagnosis of developmental delays is essential to providing early developmental care. The Münchener Funktionelle Entwicklungsdiagnostik (MFED) is a simple and cost-effective tool for diagnosing the development of infants and young children. Nevertheless, the MFED has not been a well-studied part of current [...] Read more.
Early diagnosis of developmental delays is essential to providing early developmental care. The Münchener Funktionelle Entwicklungsdiagnostik (MFED) is a simple and cost-effective tool for diagnosing the development of infants and young children. Nevertheless, the MFED has not been a well-studied part of current research. This retrospective cohort study aims to detect risk factors and assess the impact of developmental care during the first twelve months of life, using the MFED. Furthermore, it determines the MFED’s predictive value by comparing results with an international gold standard, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID II). The study included 303 infants born between 2008–2013 in Rostock, Germany, with a birth weight of ≤1500 g and/or a gestational age of ≤32 weeks, who were evaluated with the MFED at twelve months of age. To ascertain the predictive value, 213 infants underwent BSID II assessment at 24 months of age. Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) were significantly associated with a higher risk of developmental delay across various domains. Post-discharge developmental care therapies did not indicate any clear beneficial effect on the infant’s development. Nevertheless, some domains of MFED demonstrate predictive value, warranting increased attention for this diagnostic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurodevelopmental Disabilities)
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15 pages, 693 KiB  
Article
Dyslexia Due to Visual Impairments
by Reinhard Werth
Biomedicines 2023, 11(9), 2559; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11092559 - 18 Sep 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1654
Abstract
Reading involves many different abilities that are necessary or sufficient conditions for fluent and flawless reading. The absence of one necessary or of all sufficient conditions is a cause of dyslexia. The present study investigates whether too short fixation times and an impaired [...] Read more.
Reading involves many different abilities that are necessary or sufficient conditions for fluent and flawless reading. The absence of one necessary or of all sufficient conditions is a cause of dyslexia. The present study investigates whether too short fixation times and an impaired ability to recognize a string of letters simultaneously are causes of dyslexia. The frequency and types of reading mistakes were investigated in a tachistoscopic pseudoword experiment with 100 children with dyslexia to test the impact of too short fixation times and the attempts of children with dyslexia to recognize more letters simultaneously than they can when reading pseudowords. The experiment demonstrates that all types of reading mistakes disappear when the fixation time increases and/or the number of letters that the children try to recognize simultaneously is reduced. The results cannot be interpreted as being due to altered visual crowding, impaired attention, or impaired phonological awareness, but can be regarded as an effect of impaired temporal summation and a dysfunction in the ventral stream of the visual system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurodevelopmental Disabilities)
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12 pages, 1104 KiB  
Article
Sensory Modulation Abilities in Healthy Preterm-Born Children: An Observational Study Using the Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation Checklist (SPSRC)
by Giulia Previtali, Cynthia Y. Y. Lai, Maria Valvassori Bolgè, Anna Cavallini, Renata Nacinovich, Daniele Piscitelli and Giulia Purpura
Biomedicines 2023, 11(8), 2319; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11082319 - 21 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1781
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate prematurity as a risk factor for sensory processing disorders, using the Italian Version of Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation Checklist (SPSRC-IT), based on a sample of healthy Italian children born preterm in comparison with a sample of typical full-term [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate prematurity as a risk factor for sensory processing disorders, using the Italian Version of Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation Checklist (SPSRC-IT), based on a sample of healthy Italian children born preterm in comparison with a sample of typical full-term children. Two groups of caregivers of Italian healthy preschooler children were recruited. The first group comprised 37 caregivers of full-term children (FT), while the second group consisted of 37 caregivers of preterm children (PT) (gestational age < 37 weeks). Significant differences between the groups in several subsections and factors of the SPSRC-IT were found, specifically in the Physiological Conditions section, in the Gustatory and Olfactory Sense section, in the Vestibular Sense section, and in the Proprioceptive Sense section, with lower scores in the PT group. Moreover, children born at a lower gestational age or with lower weights had a higher risk of dysfunctions in processing gustatory and olfactory, vestibular, and proprioceptive stimuli. In conclusion, the SPSRC-IT suggested a potential link between prematurity and challenges in the development of sensory processing and self-regulation skills, especially in children with a very low birth weight and very low gestational age. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurodevelopmental Disabilities)
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9 pages, 1176 KiB  
Article
A New Immersive Rehabilitation Therapy (MoveR) Improves More Than Classical Visual Training Visual Perceptual Skills in Dyslexic Children
by Charlotte Gibert, Florent Roger, Emmanuel Icart, Marie Brugulat and Maria Pia Bucci
Biomedicines 2023, 11(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11010021 - 22 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2617
Abstract
In this study, we wonder how to compare the improvement in visual perceptual skills (by using the test of visual perceptual skills, TVPS) in children with dyslexia after two visual training types (a new immersive rehabilitation therapy called MoveR, and the classical vision [...] Read more.
In this study, we wonder how to compare the improvement in visual perceptual skills (by using the test of visual perceptual skills, TVPS) in children with dyslexia after two visual training types (a new immersive rehabilitation therapy called MoveR, and the classical vision therapy). Thirty-nine children with dyslexia were enrolled in the study. They were split into two groups (G1 and G2) matched in IQ (intelligence quotient), sex, and age. Children of the group G1 underwent to MoveR training while children of the group G2 underwent to visual training. TVPS scores of four subtests were assessed twice before and 6 months after the two different types of training (MoveR or visual). MoveR training is an immersive therapy to reinforce visual discrimination, visual attention, saccadic/vergence system and spatial orientation. Visual therapy is based by training different types of eyes movements (horizontal, vertical and oblique pursuits and saccades, convergence and divergence movements), reading task and some exercise for improving eyes–head coordination. Each training type lasted 30 min a day, five days a week, for two weeks. Before training, the TVPS scores of the four subtests measured were statistically similar for both groups of children with dyslexia (G1 and G2). After training, both group of children (G1 and G2) improved the TVPS score of the four subtests assessed; however, such improvement reached significance in G1 only. We conclude that MoveR training could be a more useful tool than classical visual training to improve visual perceptual abilities in dyslexic children. Follow up studies on a larger number of dyslexic children will be necessary in order to explore whether such improvement persists over time and its eventual implication in reading or other classroom’s activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurodevelopmental Disabilities)
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Review

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24 pages, 2468 KiB  
Review
A Bio-Social Model during the First 1000 Days Optimizes Healthcare for Children with Developmental Disabilities
by Mark S. Scher
Biomedicines 2022, 10(12), 3290; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10123290 - 19 Dec 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3252
Abstract
Most children with developmental disabilities (DD) live in resource-limited countries (LMIC) or high-income country medical deserts (HICMD). A social contract between healthcare providers and families advocates for accurate diagnoses and effective interventions to treat diseases and toxic stressors. This bio-social model emphasizes reproductive [...] Read more.
Most children with developmental disabilities (DD) live in resource-limited countries (LMIC) or high-income country medical deserts (HICMD). A social contract between healthcare providers and families advocates for accurate diagnoses and effective interventions to treat diseases and toxic stressors. This bio-social model emphasizes reproductive health of women with trimester-specific maternal and pediatric healthcare interactions. Lifelong neuronal connectivity is more likely established across 80% of brain circuitries during the first 1000 days. Maladaptive gene-environment (G x E) interactions begin before conception later presenting as maternal-placental-fetal (MPF) triad, neonatal, or childhood neurologic disorders. Synergy between obstetrical and pediatric healthcare providers can reduce neurologic morbidities. Partnerships between healthcare providers and families should begin during the first 1000 days to address diseases more effectively to moderate maternal and childhood adverse effects. This bio-social model lowers the incidence and lessens the severity of sequalae such as DD. Access to genetic-metabolomic, neurophysiologic and neuroimaging evaluations enhances clinical decision-making for more effective interventions before full expression of neurologic dysfunction. Diagnostic accuracy facilitates developmental interventions for effective preschool planning. A description of a mother-child pair in a HIC emphasizes the time-sensitive importance for early interventions that influenced brain health throughout childhood. Partnership by her parents with healthcare providers and educators provided effective healthcare and lessened adverse effects. Effective educational interventions were later offered through her high school graduation. Healthcare disparities in LMIC and HICMD require that this bio-social model of care begin before the first 1000 days to effectively treat the most vulnerable women and children. Prioritizing family planning followed by prenatal, neonatal and child healthcare improves wellness and brain health. Familiarity with educational neuroscience for teachers applies neurologic diagnoses for effective individual educational plans. Integrating diversity and inclusion into medical and educational services cross socioeconomic, ethnic, racial, and cultural barriers with life-course benefits. Families require knowledge to recognize risks for their children and motivation to sustain relationships with providers and educators for optimal outcomes. The WHO sustainable development goals promote brain health before conception through the first 1000 days. Improved education, employment, and social engagement for all persons will have intergenerational and transgenerational benefits for communities and nations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neurodevelopmental Disabilities)
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