About this Research Topic

Background

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) include intellectual disability (ID), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is highly complex and heterogeneous, ranging from varying phenotypes and symptom expressions and traditional boundaries between disciplines of psychiatry, psychology, neurology, and pediatrics. It has been characterized by core symptoms with the more commonly sought-after features used for its clinical diagnosis. These characteristics include deficiencies in social communications and interactions and unusual restricted, repetitive, or sensory behaviors. ASD may be diagnosed in conjunction with ND syndrome or independently as idiopathic autism. However, ASD individuals are more likely to have comorbid NDDs such as ID, ADHD and epilepsy, or gastrointestinal symptoms and sleep disturbance. The precise molecular etiology of most NDDs is unknown but certainly multifactorial; some may be associated with genetic mutations, environmental, infectious, and traumatic, among others.

Global recent research indicates that several interconnected aberrant pathways and molecular abnormalities are contributors to ASD and comorbid NDDs. However, no definitive perturbed molecular and cellular pathways have been found despite the advances. The goal of this Research Topic is focused on the research conducted to ascertain the multifactorial causes of ASD, examining the high degree of complexity generated by functional relevance of genetic risk factors, gene expression mechanisms, signal transduction pathways, compensatory protective mechanisms, and molecular control of neural systems. This might also include immune dysregulation, hormonal imbalances, and other areas of pathophysiological consequences of dysregulation. We aim to provide better diagnostic methods and screening tools that fall broadly on objectivity and are not challenging to assess in younger children, resulting in optimal opportunities for intervention.

This Research Topic focused on providing a comprehensive overview of ASD and the comorbid NDDs such as ID, ADHD, epilepsy, gastrointestinal symptoms, and sleep disturbance, emphasizing functional crosstalk and the complexity generated by molecular and functional approaches to study ASD. We welcome researchers across the globe to submit their original research, systematic, methods, review, mini-review, hypothesis and theory, perspective, clinical trial, case report, data report, brief research report, and opinion articles that cover, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• To identify new and flexible diagnoses and patient stratification using biological markers that could predict ASD risk.
• To understand ASD development, severity, mechanisms behind influences on neurodevelopment.
• To emphasize functional crosstalk between ASD and the comorbid conditions such as ID, ADHD, epilepsy, gastrointestinal symptoms, and sleep disturbance.
• To identify potential therapeutic targets and clinical utility in ASD and comorbidities.
• To promote machine learning in assisting ASD early diagnosis.

Keywords: ASD, molecular mechanisms, neurodevelopmental disorders, machine learning, psychiatric disorders

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