Announcements

The editorial team at Brain Sciences extends our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated reviewers whose expertise and commitment have been key to the journal's success in 2024. Last year, Brain Sciences received 5956 review reports from 2345 reviewers representing 79 countries and regions worldwide.

To recognize the invaluable time, effort, and attention to detail that each reviewer dedicates, Brain Sciences expresses its sincere gratitude through an annual acknowledgment of reviewers. As a further token of appreciation, all reviewers are eligible for the Outstanding Reviewer Award, which honors their essential role in enhancing the quality of our publications.

We are honored to recognize the reviewers who allowed us to publish their names each year. The names of these reviewers are listed below in alphabetical order by first name:

Nine new journals covering multiple subjects launched their inaugural issues in December 2024. We are excited to be able to share with you the newest research rooted in the value of open access.

We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all of the Editorial Board Members, and each journal will ensure its high-quality output by using excellent editorial and rigorous peer-review processes, to ensure that the articles achieve high impact and visibility.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal Topics (Selected)
	Prof. Dr. Zhaoyang Dong City University of Hong Kong, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	energy storage technologies; energy storage system management; energy storage applications; strategies in renewable energy generation grid integration; distributed storage systems; economics and markets for energy storage View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Yang-Hui He 1. London Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Royal Institution, UK 2. University of Oxford, UK Editorial | View inaugural issue	Euclidean geometry; differential geometry; algebraic geometry; complex geometry; discrete geometry; computational geometry; geometric group theory;  convex geometry View journal scope | Submit an article
	Dr. Michel Planat Université de Franche-Comté, France Editorial | View inaugural issue	differential topology; algebraic topology; manifold topology; homology theory; low-dimensional topology; fuzzy sets View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Rashid Al Abri 1. Sultan Qaboos University, Oman 2. Oman Medical Association, Oman Editorial | View inaugural issue	clinical practices as well as research and innovation in medical education, risk management in healthcare, and patient safety View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Ecevit Bilgili* New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA *Prof. Dr. Ecevit Bilgili passed away before the completion of the inaugural issue. His dedication and vision for JPBI will always be remembered and serve as a guiding inspiration. Editorial | View inaugural issue	early drug discovery and development; product characterization and pre-clinical testing; drug delivery systems and drug design; active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production View journal scope | Submit an article
	Dr. Weiyong Liu Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	theories, methodologies, technologies, and applications in the fields of laboratory medicine and clinical chemistry View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Manuel Pedro Rodríguez Bolívar University of Granada, Spain Editorial | View inaugural issue	scientometrics; informetrics; bibliometrics; altmetrics; webometrics; research evaluation View journal scope | Submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Fei Fan Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China Editorial | View inaugural issue	regional growth theory and methods; regional system modeling and optimization; regional development policy; regional spatial evolution; environmental policy and instrument choice View journal scope | Submit an article
	Dr. Kevin Cianfaglione Université Catholique de Lille, France Editorial | View inaugural issue	wild species and their habitats; wild environments and biodiversity; natural environment management; wild land preservation View journal scope | Submit an article

We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to send an application here, or contact the New Journal Committee ([email protected]) if you would like to create more new journals.

Improving our understanding of brain function requires interdisciplinary collaborations between theoretical, computational, and experimental disciplines and approaches. The “Computational Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics” Section of Brain Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3425) fosters multidisciplinary interactions between theoretical, computational, and experimental work in the field of neuroscience.

We welcome original contributions on a wide range of topics that promote theoretical modeling focused on understanding neural function at the molecular, cellular, and circuit levels via computational and model-based approaches that are experimentally testable. While this Section primarily focuses on theoretical and computational research, it seeks experimental studies that validate and test theoretical conclusions. Primarily theoretical manuscripts should be highly relevant to the neural mechanisms of neural function, while primarily experimental manuscripts should have implications for the computational analysis of nervous system function.

The submission of manuscripts investigating the physiological mechanisms underlying neuropathologies by combining theoretical and experimental approaches is highly encouraged. Similarly, manuscripts describing novel technological advances in data analysis techniques to gain further insights into the function of the nervous system are also highly sought. Modeling approaches at all levels, from biophysically motivated realistic simulations of neurons and synapses to high-level behavioral models of inference and decision making, are also welcome.

As all of the articles published in our journal are of an open access format, you have free and unlimited access to the full texts. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2023 and 2024, which are listed below.

1. “Analysis of IoT Security Challenges and Its Solutions Using Artificial Intelligence”
by Tehseen Mazhar, Dhani Bux Talpur, Tamara Al Shloul, Yazeed Yasin Ghadi, Inayatul Haq, Inam Ullah, Khmaies Ouahada and Habib Hamam
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(4), 683; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13040683
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/4/683

2. “Automated Classification of Brain Tumors from Magnetic Resonance Imaging Using Deep Learning”
by Zahid Rasheed, Yong-Kui Ma, Inam Ullah, Tamara Al Shloul, Ahsan Bin Tufail, Yazeed Yasin Ghadi, Muhammad Zubair Khan and Heba G. Mohamed
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(4), 602; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13040602
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/4/602

3. “Lie Recognition with Multi-Modal Spatial–Temporal State Transition Patterns Based on Hybrid Convolutional Neural Network–Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory”
by Sunusi Bala Abdullahi, Zakariyya Abdullahi Bature, Lubna A. Gabralla and Haruna Chiroma
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(4), 555; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13040555
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/4/555

4. “Systematic Review and Future Direction of Neuro-Tourism Research”
by Abeer Al-Nafjan, Mashael Aldayel and Amira Kharrat
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(4), 682; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13040682
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/4/682

5. “The Clinical Relevance of Artificial Intelligence in Migraine”
by Angelo Torrente, Simona Maccora, Francesco Prinzi, Paolo Alonge, Laura Pilati, Antonino Lupica, Vincenzo Di Stefano, Cecilia Camarda, Salvatore Vitabile and Filippo Brighina
Brain Sci. 2024, 14(1), 85; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14010085
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/1/85

6. “Machine Learning Enabled P300 Classifier for Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Adaptive Signal Decomposition”
by Santhosh Peketi and Sanjay B. Dhok
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(2), 315; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13020315
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/2/315

7. “Emotion Recognition from Spatio-Temporal Representation of EEG Signals via 3D-CNN with Ensemble Learning Techniques”
by Rajamanickam Yuvaraj, Arapan Baranwal, A. Amalin Prince, M. Murugappan and Javeed Shaikh Mohammed
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(4), 685; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13040685
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/4/685

8. “Evidence of Chaos in Electroencephalogram Signatures of Human Performance: A Systematic Review”
by Shaida Kargarnovin, Christopher Hernandez, Farzad V. Farahani and Waldemar Karwowski
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(5), 813; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13050813
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/5/813

The “Cognitive, Social and Affective Neuroscience” Section addresses foundational inquiries in cognitive processes, social perception, and emotion, alongside their practical applications across various levels of analysis, including behavior, neural circuits, cellular mechanisms, and genetics. Our overarching objective is to cultivate an integrative, interdisciplinary platform that combines psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, linguistics, computer science, and engineering. This platform highlights and propels new theories, innovative methodologies, and new techniques for examining cognitive, social, and affective processes, emphasizing their interconnections and reciprocal influences across normal development, age-related cognitive changes, neurocognitive disorders, and psychiatric conditions. For example, linguistic theories that traditionally compartmentalize language, emotion, and cognition as independent entities, often overlooking the socio-cultural context of linguistic behavior, may struggle to inform and guide research and practices in communication and social interaction, including in healthy and clinical populations.

This Section welcomes state-of-the-art basic, clinical, and translational investigations utilizing a spectrum of methodologies, including behavioral assessments, neuroimaging, computational modeling, pharmacological interventions, and neuromodulation techniques. Our aim is to advance our comprehension of brain–behavior relationships, primarily focusing on the foundations and interactions of cognitive, social, and affective processes across the lifespan of individuals. We encourage submissions of original research and reviews, theoretical treatises, meta-analyses, case studies, observational approaches, technical insights, computer simulations and models, statistical methodologies, perspectives, and commentaries.

As all of the articles published in our journal are of an open access format, you have free and unlimited access to the full texts. We invite you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2023 and 2024, which are listed below.

1. “Preventive Strategies for Cognitive Decline and Dementia: Benefits of Aerobic Physical Activity, Especially Open-Skill Exercise”
by Takao Yamasaki
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(3), 521; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13030521
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/3/521

2. “Attachment, Mentalizing and Trauma: Then (1992) and Now (2022)”
by Peter Fonagy, Chloe Campbell and Patrick Luyten
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(3), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13030459
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/3/459

3. “Impact of Physical Exercise Alone or in Combination with Cognitive Remediation on Cognitive Functions in People with Schizophrenia: A Qualitative Critical Review”
by Giacomo Deste, Daniele Corbo, Gabriele Nibbio, Mauro Italia, Dario Dell'Ovo, Irene Calzavara-Pinton, Jacopo Lisoni, Stefano Barlati, Roberto Gasparotti and Antonio Vita
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(2), 320; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13020320
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/2/320

4. “The Impact of Motor-Cognitive Dual-Task Training on Physical and Cognitive Functions in Parkinson’s Disease”
by Yi Xiao, Tianmi Yang and Huifang Shang
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(3), 437; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13030437
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/3/437

5. “Gastrodin Improves Cognitive Dysfunction in REM Sleep-Deprived Rats by Regulating TLR4/NF-κB and Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathways”
by Bo Liu, Fei Li, Yunyan Xu, Qin Wu and Jingshan Shi
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(2), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13020179
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/2/179

6. “Hyperscanning EEG Paradigm Applied to Remote vs. Face-To-Face Learning in Managerial Contexts: Which Is Better?”
by Michela Balconi, Laura Angioletti and Federico Cassioli
Brain Sci. 2024, 13(2), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13020356
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/2/356

The “Behavioral Neuroscience” Section of the journal Brain Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3425) reports advances in our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying behavior. This Section publishes articles with major insights into the neural mechanisms of animal and human behavior, from early development to senescence, and highly welcomes articles studying the interplay between behavior and its neurobiological basis, from behavioral to neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies. This Section also publishes studies in psychophysiology (both human and animal). Integrative and translational approaches are appreciated.

As all of the articles published in our journal are of an open access format, you have free and unlimited access to their full texts. We welcome you to read our most highly cited papers published in 2023, listed below.

1. “Cognitive Performance in Short Sleep Young Adults with Different Physical Activity Levels: A Cross-Sectional fNIRS Study”
by Yanwei You, Jianxiu Liu, Dizhi Wang, Yingyao Fu, Ruidong Liu and Xindong Ma
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(2), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13020171
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/2/171

2. “The Role of Serotonin in Fear Learning and Memory: A Systematic Review of Human Studies”
by Francesco Tortora, Abed L. Hadipour, Simone Battaglia, Alessandra Falzone, Alessio Avenanti and Carmelo M. Vicario
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(8), 1197; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13081197
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/8/1197

3. “Sleep Deprivation and Insomnia in Adolescence: Implications for Mental Health”
by Sara Uccella, Ramona Cordani, Federico Salfi, Maurizio Gorgoni, Serena Scarpelli, Angelo Gemignani, Pierre Alexis Geoffroy, Luigi De Gennaro, Laura Palagini, Michele Ferrara et al.
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(4), 569; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13040569
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/4/569

4. “Exploring the Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities in Traumatic Brain Injury: A Scoping Review”
by Leslie W. Johnson and Isabella Diaz
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(5), 707; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13050707
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/5/707

In order to further enhance the international influence of the journal Brain Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3425), promote the academic exchange of young scientists, and support the Editorial Board with additional talent, the first Early Career Editorial Board of Brain Sciences (2025–2026) is being set up, and outstanding young scholars are invited to join!

Recruitment:
A total of 50 Early Career Editorial Board Members are planned to be recruited.

Application eligibility:

• Significant research achievements in the field of neuroscience;
• Willingness to spend enough time to contribute to the development of the journal with passion and enthusiasm;
• Scholars who preside over national-level scientific research projects and have overseas experience will be preferred;
• Within 10 years of achieving their Ph.D.

Benefits of Early Career Editorial Board Members include the following:

• A certificate of being an Early Career Editorial Board Member will be provided. The term of Early Career Editorial Board membership is two years and can then be renewed;
• The resumes of Early Career Editorial Board Members will be publicized on journal media platforms to improve academic visibility;
• An opportunity to be promoted to an Editorial Board Member based on contributions;
• The journal will regularly acknowledge those who participate in the peer review process on the journal’s website;
• Opportunities to exchange ideas with internationally influential researchers in this field; opportunities to participate in or host annual meetings and online seminars organized by the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board Members.

Responsibilities of Early Career Editorial Board Members include the following:

• Publicizing and promoting the journal at academic conferences and among peers;
• Selecting high-quality articles and preparing bilingual media content for promotion;
• Reviewing at least one and no more than three manuscripts per year;
• Inviting submissions from local and overseas world-leading scientists in respective research fields.

Applications:
Please send the application form and your academic resume to [email protected] with the subject “Brain Sciences Early Career Editorial Board Application + Name + Institute + Research Expertise”;

Application deadline: 30 April 2025.

Selection process:
Initial screening of application materials → selection by the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board Members → email notification → issuing a certificate of appointment.

More than 100 German universities and research institutions have entered into a national agreement with MDPI. The publication agreement negotiated by ZB MED comes into effect on 1 January 2025 and is valid until the end of 2026. Joining the consortium is still possible until the beginning of 2025. We are delighted by the high level of interest this agreement has already garnered, reflecting the strong demand for accessible and cost-effective open access publishing solutions among German research institutions.

This new cooperation aims to make scientific gold open access publishing more affordable and less administratively burdensome for researchers in Germany. The agreement includes substantial discounts on article processing charges (APCs) for corresponding authors from participating institutions. It offers flexible payment options, including centralized invoicing or individual payment of fees by researchers or their institutions. Additionally, the agreement features a flat-fee model that enables institutions to precisely plan expenses and optimize their library budgets.

"MDPI can look back on over a decade of successful partnerships with German research institutions," says Peter Roth, MDPI Head of Publishing. "The new agreement marks another milestone in the long-standing co-operation between MDPI and the German scientific community. It emphasizes our commitment to developing up-to-date and inventive solutions for the diverse needs of scientific institutions to promote open research for the benefit of researchers."

Petra Labriga, Head of Strategic License Management at ZB MED, highlighted the agreement's significance: "As one of the world's leading Gold OA publishers, MDPI plays a central role in the German publishing landscape. We are particularly pleased that we were able to achieve considerable potential cost savings for scientific institutions and their authors at a national level through our negotiations."

The partnership reflects a common goal of advancing the idea of open access and supporting researchers in making their scientific excellence internationally visible.

"We would like to thank the ZB MED consortium team for their excellent collaboration," added Adrian Stefan Zamfir, MDPI Institutional Partnership Manager for the DACH region. "We are delighted that this agreement will give even more researchers in Germany access to our tried-and-tested and reliable publication platform."

Franziska Fischer (right), Commercial Director at ZB MED, an Peter Roth (left), Head of Publishing at MDPI, celebrate the signing of the new national open access agreement between MDPI and the ZB MED Consortium.

More Information

• Conditions and participation opportunities (German): Link
• Frequently asked questions (German): Link

Contact

• ZB MED: Team Konsortiallizenzen ([email protected]) - Website
  MDPI: Adrian Stefan Zamfir, Institutional Partnership Manager ([email protected])
  
  

About ZB MED

ZB MED - Information Centre for Life Sciences is an infrastructure and research centre for life science information and data. Its aim is to support and strengthen research for people and the environment: from medicine to biodiversity and environmental protection.

The work of ZB MED is orientated towards the strategic guidelines:

• Research + Networking: We conduct research together with the regionally, nationally, European and globally networked research community.
• Data science: We enable data analyses and generate new knowledge through research.
• Access to information: We provide sustainable access to information, literature and data as a central information infrastructure.
• Open + FAIR: We promote open and reproducible science in line with open science and FAIR principles.
• Knowledge and skills transfer: We actively impart knowledge, competences and skills.

More information at www.zbmed.de.

About MDPI

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, MDPI is one of the world's leading open access publishers with a current portfolio of more than 440 journals in all scientific disciplines. MDPI‘s goal is to advance open science worldwide through greater transparency, efficiency and collaboration. To date, more than 3.7 million researchers have published their results in MDPI journals. The editorial process is overseen by a large network of dedicated reviewers and editors and supported by more than 6500 MDPI employees. MDPI currently works with over 800 academic institutions and 180 scientific societies worldwide, which benefit from a wide range of MDPI services and products.

We are pleased to announce a series of updates to our template, aimed at improving the readability and overall aesthetics of our publications. These changes have been meticulously designed to enhance the user experience and ensure consistency across all our publications. The updated template will be available for download from the Instructions for Authors page.

The following updates will be applied to articles published in the 2025 volumes, starting on 24 December 2024:

• Main text: The line spacing has been increased to improve the readability of publications;
• Header and footer: The link to the journal website will be removed, as a hyperlink has been integrated into the journal logo. Additionally, the DOI link will be moved from the left-hand side to the right-hand side, and both the header and footer will be slightly raised to achieve a better balance;
• Left information bar: The information provided here has been rearranged for better organization; the CC-BY logo will be removed;
• Font size: The font size used for the abstract, keywords, and first-level headings will be increased.

Furthermore, MDPI journals will continue to use article numbers. This approach enables us to maintain a rapid and efficient production process by being able to define pagination as soon as a paper is accepted.

We hope that the new version of the template will provide users with a better experience and make the process more convenient.

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions or suggestions.

Over 20 years ago, the 21st century was said to be the era during which the nervous system would finally be elucidated. However, the nervous system (a complex integrated system consisting of many glial and neuronal cell types) can still not be explained in the “language” of molecular biology. Although the main body of memory is assumed to be an electrical circuit, it is not possible to explain, at the molecular level, how "things" are recognized and memorized. There is no clear answer as to whether the peripheral nervous system can remember. Furthermore, it seems that it will take some time to elucidate the mechanisms of nerve destruction and memory impairment. In this seminar, we will introduce research attempts to reveal the intrinsic and extrinsic molecular mechanisms of neurogenesis and its destruction using the latest technology. In particular, we will focus on neurological disorders caused by degenerative diseases, mental disorders, and the three major adult diseases.

Date: 25 December 2024 at 1:00 p.m. Japan | 12:00 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 838 1456 8153
Webinar website: https://sciforum.net/event/cluster-1

Register now for free!

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

If you are unable to attend, register anyway and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Prof. Junji Yamauch, Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Japan;
• Assoc. Prof. Tomohiro Torii, Department of Biochemistry, Kitasato University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Japan;
• Dr. Kazunori Sango, Diabetic Neuropathy Project, Department of Diseases and Infection, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Japan;
• Prof. Shingo Miyata, Division of Molecular Brain Science, Research Institute of Traditional Asian Medicine, Kindai University, Japan.