Author Guidelines

Human Brian follows a single-blind peer-review policy; author information cannot be identified by reviewers. The first page of the main manuscripts must be labelled ‘Title Page’.

Article Types
1. Original Research Articles
Word limit: ＞4000; no upper limit
Abstract word limit: ﹤400
Display items: 5-8
References: No limit

2. Review Articles
Word limit: ＞4000; no upper limit
Abstract word limit: ﹤400
Display items: No limit
References: No limit

3. Brief Reports/Short Communications
Word limit: ﹤2500
Abstract word limit: ﹤200
References: ﹤30
Display items: ﹤4

4. Letters to the editor
Word limit: ﹤1500
Abstract: None
References: ﹤10
Display items: ﹤2

5. Clinical Pathology Case Discussions
Word limit: ﹤2500
Should the word count exceed this, please state this in the cover letter upon submission.
Abstract word limit: ﹤200
References: ﹤15
Display items: ﹤5

6. Methods
Word limit: ﹤3000
Should the word count exceed this, please state this in the cover letter upon submission.
Abstract word limit: ﹤250
References: ﹤40
Display items: ﹤5

7. Research Platforms and Database
Word limit: ＞4000; no upper limit
Abstract word limit: ﹤400
Display items: No limit
References: No limit

8. Research Protocols
Non-declarative title that includes the words ‘research protocol.’
Word limit: ＞4000; no upper limit
Abstract word limit: ﹤400
Display items: No limit
References: No limit

9. Editorial Highlights
Word limit: ﹤1200
References: ﹤12
Display items: ﹤1

10. Prospective
Word limit: ﹤1500
Should the word count exceed this, please state this in the cover letter upon submission.
Abstract: None
References: ﹤10
Display items: ﹤2

11. Guideline and Consensus
Non-declarative title that includes the words ‘guideline’ or ‘consensus’. *Permission required from original authors and publisher if reprinted or translated from other journals.
Word limit: ＞4000; no upper limit
Abstract word limit: ﹤400 
Display items: No limit
References: No limit

Style Details/Formatting

Font: 12-point, Times New Roman
Line spacing: Double-spaced throughout
Margins: Normal (2.5 cm)
Page size: A4 (21 × 29.7 cm)
Heading style: First level: 16-point, bold; Second level: 14-point, bold; Third level: 12-point, bold
Use the automatic page numbering function to number the pages.
Abbreviations should be defined in the text at the first use.
The Title Page and Main Body text (see below) should be included in a single Word document (Docx).

Title Page
The first page of the main manuscripts must be labelled ‘Title Page’.
The Title Page must include the full article title, a short running title, and all authors' names, affiliations, and email addresses.
The corresponding author must be indicated, and a full mailing address provided.
Full title: ﹤100 characters, including spaces
Short running title: ﹤40 characters, including spaces
No abbreviations

Main Body 
The main body text of Original Articles and Brief Reports should contain an Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgements, Conflict of Interest Disclosures, Funding, and References.
The main body text of Reviews should contain an Abstract, Keywords, text (beginning with Introduction and ending with Conclusion), Acknowledgements, Conflict of Interest Disclosures, Funding, and References.
The main body text of Clinical Pathology Case Discussions should contain an Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Clinical Summary or Case Presentation (with subsections if necessary), Pathological Findings (with subsections if necessary), Genetic Findings (if necessary), Discussion, Acknowledgements, Conflict of Interest Disclosures, Funding, and References.

Abstract： The abstract should consist of one paragraph without a subhead of less than 400 words for Original Articles and Reviews and less than 200 words for Brief Reports and Clinical Pathology Case Discussions.
Keywords: 3-10
List of Abbreviations： Any abbreviations should be defined in the text at first use, and a list of abbreviations should be provided after the Title Page.
Conflict of Interest Disclosures: All authors’ financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could be perceived as a possible conflict of interest must be stated.

Display Items
Figures and Tables
Figures and Tables must be cited in consecutive order in the text, e.g., (Fig. 1A–D), (Table 1), (Supplementary Fig. 1A-B).
Tables should be submitted as separate files and be in a plain format. They should be numbered consecutively and include a definitive title at the top. Table footnotes may be used to define abbreviations, symbols, or other terminology within the table.
Figures (including graphs and plots) must be submitted as separate files in TIFF or JPEG format. The position of figures in the text should be indicated. Captions for figures should be listed in the manuscript after the References. Figures shall be sharp and of high contrast, with a resolution of 300 dpi for colour and halftone (grey-shaded) artwork or 600 dpi for black and white line drawings. Figures should be prepared to fit into a single column (90 mm width) or two columns (185 mm).

Ethical Considerations
Experimental Studies of Human Subjects: The Methods section of the main body text must contain a statement verifying that the protocol for the study received prior approval from the appropriate institutional review board and that informed consent was obtained from each subject.
Animal Experiments: The Methods section of the main body text must contain a statement verifying that the protocol for the study received approval from the institutional animal care and use committee.

Letters
Letters should consist of one of the following: 1) Commentary on a previous article published in Human Brain. The letter should closely focus on the content of the article being discussed. 2) Commentary on an issue affecting brain research or human brain bank research.

References and Citations
The list of References should include only works cited in the text. Papers presented at meetings but not yet published or accepted for publication and other unpublished data may be included in the References (e.g., ‘In press’). References and citations should typically follow American Psychological Association (APA) style.