Journal profile · NEUROSCIENCES
Frontiers in Neural Circuits
ISSN 1662-5110 · Frontiers Media S.A. · SWITZERLAND · Founded 2007
Frontiers in Neural Circuits: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.87; fully open access; APC charged, amount not published; median 71 days to acceptance (101 articles, last 24 months); 62 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Frontiers in Neural Circuits is published by Frontiers Media S.A. and is in Zone 3 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Neural dynamics and brain function, Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research and Photoreceptor and optogenetics research, together about 43% of its articles. Its main subfields are Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Frontiers in Neural Circuits is a multidisciplinary journal publishing research on the emergent properties of neural circuits - the elementary modules of the brain. Led by Specialty Chief Editor Prof Takao K. Hensch (Harvard University, USA), Frontiers in Neural Circuits publishes research on the strategies used by different circuits to link their structure with function, the general rules by which they operate, and how their constructions lead to the emergence of complex properties and behaviors. Subjects of interest include but are not limited to: the anatomy, physiology, development or function of any neural circuitry in any species how development and plasticity shapes the structural and functional architecture of neural circuits synaptic, cellular, and connectivity principles in neural microcircuits. Multidisciplinary approaches and studies with an evolutionary perspective to better understand how circuit construction and capabilities evolved to produce progressively more complex properties and behaviors are especially welcome. In particular, the journal welcomes submissions which support and advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably SDG 3: good health and well-being to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Manuscripts relating to non-biologically-inspired neural networks are not suitable for publication in this journal. Frontiers in Neural Circuits is committed to advancing developments in the field by allowing unrestricted access to articles and communicating scientific knowledge to researchers and the public alike, to enable the scientific breakthroughs of the future. Frontiers in Neural Circuits is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): NEUROSCIENCES
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 12%); most named United States 6, Mainland China 2, Germany 2, Italy 2, United Kingdom 1 (17 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Neural dynamics and brain functionNeuroscience19.8%
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeuroscience16.5%
- Photoreceptor and optogenetics researchNeuroscience6.6%
- Neuroscience and Neural EngineeringNeuroscience6.2%
- Memory and Neural MechanismsNeuroscience5.5%
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology ResearchNeuroscience4.3%
- Zebrafish Biomedical Research ApplicationsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.3%
- Retinal Development and DisordersBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of ScienceMEDLINEPMCEmbasePublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, CLOCKSS, Crossref
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 2.87LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.7LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.38LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.07LetPub ·
- h-index
- 47LetPub ·
- h-index
- 120OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,254OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.08OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 3.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 99.49%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 59LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,749 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 47 | 47 | 3 |
| 2025 | 62 | 62 | 186 |
| 2024 | 58 | 58 | 325 |
| 2023 | 96 | 96 | 1,167 |
| 2022 | 145 | 145 | 2,376 |
| 2021 | 163 | 163 | 4,590 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
71 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 49 days – 113 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 20 days (101 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 92 days
- Sample
- 101 articles with submission and acceptance dates (122 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 4–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 14 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | CHF 3,150 | Yes | CC BY | |
| OpenAlex | CHF 3,150 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 3,295 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Use of AI to create written or visual content
Authors should not list a generative AI technology as a co-author or author of any submitted manuscript. Generative AI technologies cannot be held accountable for all aspects of a manuscript and consequently do not meet the criteria required for authorship. If the author of a submitted manuscript has used written or visual content produced by or edited using a generative AI technology, this use mu…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Safeguards against financial conflicts of interest
Only leading researchers acting as Associate Editors, who are not part of Frontiers' staff, can make acceptance decisions based on reviews performed by external experts acting as Community Reviewers or Reviewers. None have a financial incentive to accept articles, i.e. they are not paid for their role as Associate Editor or community Reviewer, and any award scheme is not linked to acceptances of m…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Open access and copyright
Figures/tables/images published under CC-BY; permission required for copyrighted third-party material. Model summary
All Frontiers' articles from July 2012 onwards are published with open access under the Creative Commons CC-BY license (the current version is CC-BY, version 4.0). This means that the author(s) retains copyright, but the content is free to download, distribute, and adapt for commercial or non-commercial purposes, given appropriate attribution to the original article. Upon submission, the author(s)…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access and copyright
Open access under CC-BY v4.0; authors retain copyright. Model summary
All Frontiers' articles from July 2012 onwards are published with open access under the Creative Commons CC-BY license (the current version is CC-BY, version 4.0). This means that the author(s) retains copyright, but the content is free to download, distribute, and adapt for commercial or non-commercial purposes, given appropriate attribution to the original article. Upon submission, the author(s)…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
CrossMark policy for maintaining content versions. Model summary
Our rigorous, transparent peer review process combines expert review and constructive dialogue to strengthen your manuscript.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media S.A.
- Country or region
- SWITZERLAND
- Language
- English
- Founded
- 2007
- ISSN
- 1662-5110
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Frontiers in Neural Circuits
What CAS zone is Frontiers in Neural Circuits in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Frontiers in Neural Circuits is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Neurosciences. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Frontiers in Neural Circuits?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.87; CiteScore 6.7, h-index 120.
How long does peer review take at Frontiers in Neural Circuits?
Based on the dates recorded on 101 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 71 days (interquartile range 49–113 days); authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of Frontiers in Neural Circuits based?
Of the 17 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 12%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (6), Mainland China (2) and Germany (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Frontiers in Neural Circuits?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Frontiers in Neural Circuits is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists Web of Science, MEDLINE, PMC and Embase; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Frontiers in Neural Circuits open access, and what is the APC?
Frontiers in Neural Circuits is a fully open-access journal. APC charged, amount not published.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website, DOAJ; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .