Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (569 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
These are a group of conditions with onset in the developmental period. The disorders typically manifest early in development, often before the child enters grade school, and are characterized by developmental deficits that produce impairments of personal, social, academic, or occupational functioning. (From dsm-5).
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Disorder, Neurodevelopmental; Neurodevelopmental Disorder; Neurodevelopmental Disorders Usually Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood or Adolescence; Mental Disorders Usually Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood or Adolescence; Child Mental Disorders; Child Mental Disorder; Disorder, Child Mental; Mental Disorder, Child.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Mental Disorders
- Narrower topics
- Anxiety, Separation; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders; Child Behavior Disorders; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Communication Disorders; Developmental Disabilities; Intellectual Disability; Learning Disabilities; Motor Skills Disorders; Mutism; Reactive Attachment Disorder; Schizophrenia, Childhood; Stereotypic Movement Disorder; Tic Disorders
Related concepts
- Dsm-5
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 237,090 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Neurodevelopmental Disorders” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 54,925 of them (23.2%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 71,420 records.
Reviews account for 30,300 records (12.8%) and meta-analyses for 3,044. Randomized controlled trials number 6,858 (2.9%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 71,420 |
| 2000-2009 | 40,858 |
| 2010-2019 | 69,887 |
| 2020 onward | 54,925 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 30,300 | 12.8% |
| Meta-analyses | 3,044 | 1.3% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 6,858 | 2.9% |
Method: PubMed query "Neurodevelopmental Disorders"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in psychiatry and psychology
Research on mental health and behaviour relies on questionnaires, interviews and rating scales rather than physical measurements, so how a condition was defined and measured shapes every result. Many studies are observational or small, placebo responses can be large, and findings in one group or culture may not carry over to another. Nothing on this page is advice about diagnosis or treatment; anyone worried about their mental health should talk to a qualified clinician. Check how outcomes were measured, who took part and how long they were followed.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathogenic O-GlcNAc dyshomeostasis is associated with cortical malformations and hyperactivity | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc by PMID 42770280 · DOI · PMC13597087 |
| Functional Heterogeneity of the Autism Spectrum Disorder-Associated Gut Microbial Ecosystem Revealed by Fecal Lipopolysaccharides and Bacterial Proteomic Profiling | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42809586 · DOI · PMC13623111 |
| Virtual Reality Attention Tasks in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: I. Behavioural Responses | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42742471 · DOI · PMC13576806 |
Pathogenic O-GlcNAc dyshomeostasis is associated with cortical malformations and hyperactivity [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Missense variants in the O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) gene have recently been shown to segregate with a syndromic form of intellectual disability (OGT-ID), underscoring the importance of protein O-GlcNAcylation in brain function.
- Closing excerpt
- Taken together, these data reveal neurodevelopmental defects associated with O-GlcNAc dyshomeostasis and provide a platform for dissecting mechanism and treatments of OGT-ID.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (162 words)
Missense variants in the O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) gene have recently been shown to segregate with a syndromic form of intellectual disability (OGT-ID), underscoring the importance of protein O-GlcNAcylation in brain function. However, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms linking ID to potential OGT malfunction-whether developmental, neurophysiological, or both - remain unclear. Here, we present comprehensive analyses encompassing behaviour and brain architecture of a rodent model carrying the pathogenic C921Y OGT-ID variant. These mice show a range of behavioural deficits, including hyperactivity, impulsivity, and associative learning phenotypes. Structural studies, using micro-computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, revealed reduced skull size, microcephaly, reduced cortical thickness and hypoplastic corpus callosum. Detailed histological analyses revealed dysplastic changes in the neocortex, predominantly affecting the superficial layers of the cingulate cortex. Mechanistically, quantitative proteomic analyses revealed O-GlcNAc dyshomeostasis associated with distinct perturbed molecular pathways involved in brain development. Taken together, these data reveal neurodevelopmental defects associated with O-GlcNAc dyshomeostasis and provide a platform for dissecting mechanism and treatments of OGT-ID.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42770280 · DOI · PMC13597087
Functional Heterogeneity of the Autism Spectrum Disorder-Associated Gut Microbial Ecosystem Revealed by Fecal Lipopolysaccharides and Bacterial Proteomic Profiling [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The etiology of pediatric autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been increasingly linked to alterations in the gut-brain axis, highlighting the intricate bidirectional communication between gut microbiota and central nervous system.
- Closing excerpt
- These findings suggest that gut microbiota in ASD children are associated with a functionally heterogeneous microbial ecosystem characterized by altered immunostimulatory molecular outputs despite the absence of massive taxonomic shifts, with potential relevance for neuroimmune dysregulation.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (183 words)
The etiology of pediatric autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been increasingly linked to alterations in the gut-brain axis, highlighting the intricate bidirectional communication between gut microbiota and central nervous system. The molecular mechanisms of this communication are poorly understood. Here we investigated whether ASD-associated gut microbiota could exhibit altered inflammatory molecular outputs by integrating chemistry-driven profiling of fecal lipopolysaccharides (LPS), functional bacterial proteomics, and neuroimmune cellular assays. Structural analyses revealed that LPS from non-autistic healthy donors (NASD) displayed highly conserved carbohydrate and lipid A signatures dominated by hypo-acylated mono-phosphorylated species typically associated with immunomodulatory Bacteroides-derived LPS. In contrast, LPS from ASD children exhibited increased structural heterogeneity. These molecular alterations were functionally reflected in human HMC3 microglial cells, where ASD-derived fecal LPS induced stronger IL-6 and IL-8 release compared with NASD-derived LPS, indicating enhanced neuroinflammatory potential. Functional proteomic profiling disclosed broadly comparable microbial compositions but marked metabolic divergence. These findings suggest that gut microbiota in ASD children are associated with a functionally heterogeneous microbial ecosystem characterized by altered immunostimulatory molecular outputs despite the absence of massive taxonomic shifts, with potential relevance for neuroimmune dysregulation.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42809586 · DOI · PMC13623111
Virtual Reality Attention Tasks in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: I. Behavioural Responses [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Differences in executive functioning associated with working memory and different components of attention including sustained, selective, divided and attentional switching have been reported in people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
- Closing excerpt
- Virtual reality can be used as an ecologically valid tool for detecting form-specific attentional differences under real-life scenarios.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (224 words)
Differences in executive functioning associated with working memory and different components of attention including sustained, selective, divided and attentional switching have been reported in people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Traditional laboratory tasks have limited ecological validity, whereas existing virtual reality studies have focused mainly on sustained attention, with multi-attention-form assessment remaining relatively unexplored. Sixty-four participants (34 people with self-reported attention deficit hyperactivity traits and 30 neurotypical participants) were included. Participants were tested for stuttering, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder traits and phonological working memory and then completed 10 virtual reality tasks that measured all four forms of attention. The self-reported attention deficit hyperactivity disorder group showed significantly lower attention scores, higher stuttering scores and lower phonological working memory scores. Behavioural results from the virtual reality tasks revealed that this group differed in sustained attention. Lower accuracy, higher omission error rates and reduced sensitivity occurred in this group in the traditionally formatted task based on the continuous performance test (Task 2). Logistic regression showed that all measures, except for sensitivity in Task 2, significantly predicted group membership. Results from the questionnaires indicated that overall, all participants felt present and immersed in the tasks. Findings suggest that attentional differences are form-specific and mostly observed under sustained attention tasks. Virtual reality can be used as an ecologically valid tool for detecting form-specific attentional differences under real-life scenarios.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42742471 · DOI · PMC13576806
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Prevalence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): systematic review and meta-analysis [4]
- Research article Executive function in children with neurodevelopmental conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis [5]
- Research article The Co-Occurrence of Autism and Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID): A Prevalence-Based Meta-Analysis [6]
- Research article Association between maternal diabetes and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 202 observational studies comprising 56·1 million pregnancies [7]
- Research article Psychiatric comorbidity in children and adolescents with ADHD: A systematic review and meta-analysis [8]
- Research article Neurofeedback for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [9]
Full-text reviews on EvidenceLib
Open-access review articles about this topic, reproduced in full with authors, licence and references.
Functional myelin in cognition and neurodevelopmental disorders
Hasni Khelfaoui, Cristobal Ibaceta-Gonzalez, Maria Cecilia Angulo · Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences: CMLS 2024 · CC BY 4.0
Caffeine for apnea and prevention of neurodevelopmental impairment in preterm infants: systematic review and meta-analysis
Elizabeth A. Oliphant, Sara M. Hanning, Christopher J. D. McKinlay et al. · Journal of Perinatology 2024 · CC BY 4.0
References
- Authier F, Jan A, Faress I, Skoven CS, Esperon-Abril I, Tharmakulasingam Balasubramaniam S, et al.. Pathogenic O-GlcNAc dyshomeostasis is associated with cortical malformations and hyperactivity. . 2026. PMID 42770280 · DOI · PMC13597087
- De Chiara S, Di Somma A, Mazziotti V, Coppola S, Oglio F, Tammaro L, et al.. Functional Heterogeneity of the Autism Spectrum Disorder-Associated Gut Microbial Ecosystem Revealed by Fecal Lipopolysaccharides and Bacterial Proteomic Profiling. . 2026. PMID 42809586 · DOI · PMC13623111
- Kazazi F, Howell P. Virtual Reality Attention Tasks in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: I. Behavioural Responses. . 2026. PMID 42742471 · DOI · PMC13576806
- Popit S, Serod K, Locatelli I, Stuhec M. Prevalence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Psychiatry. 2024. PMID 39381949 · DOI · PMC11536208
- Sadozai AK, Sun C, Demetriou EA, Lampit A, Munro M, Perry N, et al.. Executive function in children with neurodevelopmental conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nat Hum Behav. 2024. PMID 39424962 · DOI · PMC11659155
- Sader M, Weston A, Buchan K, Kerr-Gaffney J, Gillespie-Smith K, Sharpe H, et al.. The Co-Occurrence of Autism and Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID): A Prevalence-Based Meta-Analysis. Int J Eat Disord. 2025. PMID 39760303 · DOI · PMC11891632
- Ye W, Luo C, Zhou J, Liang X, Wen J, Huang J, et al.. Association between maternal diabetes and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 202 observational studies comprising 56·1 million pregnancies. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2025. PMID 40209722 · DOI
- Njardvik U, Wergeland GJ, Riise EN, Hannesdottir DK, Öst LG. Psychiatric comorbidity in children and adolescents with ADHD: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Psychol Rev. 2025. PMID 40245462 · DOI
- Westwood SJ, Aggensteiner PM, Kaiser A, Kaiser A, Nagy P, Donno F, et al.. Neurofeedback for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Psychiatry. 2025. PMID 39661381 · DOI · PMC11800020
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.