The Effect of Phytochemical and Vitamin Adjuvants on Neurodevelopment

Dear Colleagues,

Neurodevelopment is a complicated process by which the brain establishes neurological pathways responsible for normal brain functioning such as learning, focusing, memories, and social skills. The development of brain structures and functions has a precise temporal plane and genetics plays a leading role. Deficits in neurodevelopmental processes are typically characterized by disorders that can affect motor activities and/or cognitive functions. It is known that malnutrition has a very heavy effect on brain structures leading to alterations in the number of neurons, affecting their ability to migrate, the formation of neuronal connections and neurotransmission.

In particular, research has shown the profound impact of vitamin deficiency on health, which includes a wide range of findings. The consequences of inadequate vitamin intake can extend over a wide spectrum, ranging from relatively mild neurological and psychiatric symptoms, such as confusion, decreased memory and disruptions of sleep patterns, the development of serious conditions such as encephalopathy, ataxia, congestive heart failure, muscle atrophy, and, in severe cases, even mortality. Emerging evidence suggests that interventions such as phytochemical and vitamin supplementation could serve as a potential means to mitigate or prevent neuro-evolutionary deficits.

Then, this Special Issue on nutrients, titled “The Effect of Phytochemical and Vitamin Adjuvants on Neurodevelopment” will welcome research that highlights the relationship between nutrition and its integration with development learning, communication and motor disorders, to identify new therapeutic objectives in the field of neurodevelopment.

Dr. Maria Stella Valle
Dr. Cristina Russo
Prof. Dr. Lucia Malaguarnera
Guest Editors

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• vitamins
• phytochemicals
• neurodevelopment assessments
• intestinal microbiota
• malnutrition
• maternal health outcomes
• offspring