Advances in Neonatal Neurology: From Bench to Bedside and Beyond

Neonatal neurology is a specialized branch of pediatric neurology, which deals with neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders occurring in late pre-terms and in full-term newborns. Neurological conditions manifesting in neonates, whatever is their gestational age, and/or affecting neonatal life, are different from those challenging infants or children at older ages, or adults. Recently, an increasing body of evidence has emerged shedding light on the neuro-embryological, neuro-anatomical, molecular genetic and cellular bases of nervous system development and disruption. More sophisticated genetics, laboratory, neurophysiology and imaging techniques and methodologies have been specifically dedicated to investigating disorders prevalent in pre-terms and full-term newborns. Thus, neonatal care, which has been dedicated to improve the overall quality of life in surviving infants, has been commuted from routine intensive care to neuro-intensive care aiming to protect the developing neonatal brain. This conceptual revolution of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) is based on a more careful, cautious and frequent monitoring and observational system and repeated score assessments to follow-up maturation of signs/symptoms and on detailed developmental follow-up rather than on an action care system. This long-term perspective system is “crucial” since the sequela of neurological disorders that originate from this early developmental time often have lifelong implications.

This Research Topic aims to provide neonatologists, pediatricians, pediatric neurologists and child psychiatrists and neurologists, with multidisciplinary theoretical knowledge useful for an appropriate and practical management of neurological neonates: from the extreme to the late preterm and full term neonates. The themes welcomed aim to tentatively unravel and classify neurological unclassified events (NUE) and to improve the outcome of newborns with neurological disorders. This clinical research will be supported by translational scientific evidence, which in turn will bring a change in the daily care procedures.

Therefore, for this Research Topic we welcome manuscripts on the following:
- Translational research (anatomy, embryology, neurobiology) for different neurological disorders diagnosed in neonates and how it can inform advances in care in the NICU;
- Developmental disruption: nervous system malformations and environmental/maternal attacks in the developing brain;
- Neurological assessment (including testing score systems) in the preterm and the neonate;
- Predictors of late neurodevelopmental outcomes;
- Neurophysiology in the NICU: aEEG, EEG and video-EEG, NCV, EMG, VEP, ABEP, SSEP;
- Neonatal autonomic events and sleep disturbances
- Neurological and extra-neurological manifestations as clues to the diagnosis of neurological disorders in neonates;
- Neonatal intensive care procedures and therapies.