In the bustling field of developmental and neurodegenerative research, a compelling body of evidence from mammalian studies has implicated early-life adversities as potential keystones in developmental programming with long-lasting impacts. These adversities—ranging from intrauterine environmental changes to childhood and adolescence emotional trauma—trigger adaptations for survival that may impose irreversible alterations if sustained, thereby affecting metabolic and neurodevelopmental trajectories. Especially vulnerable is the immature brain during gestation, the initial postnatal years, and adolescence, where such disturbances can fundamentally alter its structure and functionality. While it is well-documented that such disruptions can foster conditions like attention deficits and autism, their implications for neurodegenerative ailments like dementia are not fully understood. Neurodegenerative conditions arise from complex factor interactions, and emerging research suggests that early-life adversities contribute significantly to this dynamic, potentially escalating the risk of dementia through intertwined behavioral and biological pathways, including poor lifestyle habits (such as inadequate diet, sedentary behavior, and smoking) and cardiovascular health.

Goal
This Research Topic aims to spotlight groundbreaking investigations that unravel how early-life adversities influence the onset and progression of dementia in later life. The endeavor is to amalgamate multifaceted insights from developmental neurobiology, epidemiology, and clinical studies to pinpoint intervention strategies that could diminish the neurodegenerative repercussions of these early adversities.

Scope and information for authors
We welcome submissions of various types of manuscripts supported by the journal (including Brief Research Reports, Perspectives, Protocols, Mini-Review, Original Research, etc.), including experimental interventions conducted in animal models, epidemiological investigations, and clinical studies. Possible themes include, but are not limited to, the following areas:
- Identification of specific early-life adversities that escalate dementia risk
- Efficacy of interventions addressing early-life adversity impacts on dementia
- Correlations between early-life adversities and genetic predispositions in dementia onset
- Evaluative studies on the prognostic roles of early-life adversities in dementia progression
- Discovery of biomarkers linking early-life adversity to neurodegenerative progression
- Innovative models and protocols, including brain organoids, to study early neonatal impacts on dementia

Articles accepted after peer review will be published and appear online as soon as approved for publication.

Articles

Frontiers in Dementia

Translational Research in Dementia