As we enter the third decade of the 21st Century, the achievements made by scientists have been exceptional, especially in recent years, leading to major advancements in the fast-growing fields of neurodegeneration and neurodevelopment. This Research Topic is part of an article collection that aims to disseminate knowledge that will further solutions and understanding around neurodegenerative disease, with this Topic focusing on common pathways in neurodevelopmental conditions and neurodegenerative disease.

Neurodevelopmental conditions are caused by impairment of neurodevelopment, thus pathogenesis and symptom onset are in early life. Whereas, neurodegenerative disease is associated with neuronal loss and aging with onset occurring in later life. Despite this, as our knowledge of the pathogenesis of disease expands, there is emerging evidence of a developmental role in neurodegenerative disease, along with commonalities in gene expression and epigenetic modification across neurodevelopmental conditions and neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, similarities in the symptoms of conditions, such as cognitive impairment and intellectual disability, indicate that there are similarities in the molecular pathways implicated in these conditions. These are potentially the underlying causes of pathological similarities in synaptic dysfunction, vascular abnormalities, and protein aggregation.

The Research Topic solicits brief, forward-looking contributions from researchers around the globe that describe the state of the art, outlining recent developments and major accomplishments that have been achieved, and those that need to occur to move our understanding forward. Authors are encouraged to identify the greatest challenges in the sub-disciplines, and how to address those challenges. This article collection will inspire, inform, and provide inspiration to researchers in the field.

We particularly welcome the submission of articles based on basic, clinical and, pre-clinical research on the following sub-topics:
• Vascular abnormalities in neurodevelopmental conditions and neurodegenerative disease.
• The role of non-coding RNAs in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental conditions and neurodegenerative disease.
• Genetic overlap between intellectual disability and cognitive aging.
• Epigenetic pathways involved in neurodevelopmental conditions and neurodegenerative disease.
• Common pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental conditions and neurodegenerative disease.

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Frontiers in Neuroscience

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