Advanced Molecular and Imaging Biomarkers for Neurological Disorders

Neurological disorders are often driven by shared pathophysiological pathways, including immune dysregulation, glial activation, demyelination, and progressive neuronal loss. Imaging has become central to how these conditions are detected, staged, and monitored, with a comprehensive range of structural, functional, and molecular imaging modalities offering sensitive readouts of disease activity and progression. Yet the molecular meaning of many imaging signals is still only partly understood, which limits how far imaging can be used to reflect specific biological processes.

This Research Topic brings mechanism and measurement into the same frame, connecting the underlying biology of neurological disorders with the imaging biomarkers used to track them. The Topic is cross-listed between Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, Brain Disease Mechanisms, and Frontiers in Neuroscience, Brain Imaging Methods, so that both the molecular and the imaging sides find a natural home.

We welcome clinical, preclinical, computational, and methodological contributions on:

•Molecular and cellular correlates of imaging change

• Mechanisms of glial activation, demyelination, and neurodegeneration, and their imaging signatures

• Fluid biomarkers such as neurofilament light and GFAP alongside imaging

• Imaging biomarkers across all modalities in neurological disorders

• Automated and machine learning image analysis linked to molecular signatures

• Imaging and molecular markers as endpoints for progression and treatment response

Where submissions fit best:

• Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, Brain Disease Mechanisms, suits work led by molecular and cellular mechanism, including molecular correlates of imaging change, the biology of glial activation, demyelination and neurodegeneration and their imaging signatures, and fluid biomarkers such as neurofilament light and GFAP read alongside imaging.

• Frontiers in Neuroscience, Brain Imaging Methods, suits work led by imaging, including imaging biomarkers across modalities, automated and machine learning image analysis linked to molecular signatures, and imaging and molecular markers used as endpoints for progression and treatment response.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: neurological disorders, neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, neuroimaging, imaging biomarkers, molecular mechanisms

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.