Bibliometric Analysis of Publications From 2011-2020 in 6 Major Neurosurgical Journals (Part 1): Geographic, Demographic, and Article Type Trends

Mapping scoping reviews in neurosurgery: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

The realm of neurosurgery is currently witnessing a surge in primary research, underscoring the importance of adopting evidence-based approaches. Scoping reviews, as a type of evidence synthesis, offer a broad perspective and have become increasingly vital for managing the ever-expanding body of research in swiftly evolving fields. Recent research has indicated a rising prevalence of scoping reviews in healthcare literature. In this context, the concept of a 'review of scoping reviews' has emerged as a means to offer a higher level synthesis of insights. However, the field of neurosurgery appears to lack a comprehensive integration of scoping reviews. Therefore, the objective of this scoping review is to identify and evaluate the extent of scoping reviews within neurosurgery, pinpointing research gaps and methodological issues to enhance evidence-based practices in this dynamic discipline.

METHODS

The method framework of Arksey and O'Malley will be used to conduct the scoping review. A thorough literature search will be performed on Medline, Scopus and Web of Science to find eligible studies using the keywords related to neurosurgery, scoping review and its variants. Two reviewers will independently revise all of the full-text articles, extract data and evaluate the study extent. A narrative overview of the findings from included studies will be given.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This review will involve secondary analysis of published literature, and therefore ethics approval is not required. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist will be used to guide translation of findings. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and presented in conferences via abstract and presentation.

Global Research Trends of Neurosurgery: A Comprehensive Bibliometric and Visualized Analysis of Systematic Reviews

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the bibliometric characteristics of scientific articles on systematic reviews of neurosurgery worldwide.

METHODS

Bibliographic searches were performed in journals indexed by the Web of Science database until 2022, with no language restrictions. A total of 771 articles were ultimately included on the basis of predefined inclusion criteria, which were manually reviewed. The bibliometric analysis involved the use of quantitative bibliometric indicators and network analysis, which were performed using the bibliometrix package in R and VOSviewer, respectively.

RESULTS

The first publication was in 2002, and the number of publications increased over time, with the largest number of publications in 2021 (156 articles). The average number of citations per document was 17.36, and the annual growth rate was 6.82%. Nathan A. Shlobin was the author with the most published articles (19 articles). The most cited study was published by Jobst BC (2015). WORLD NEUROSURGERY was the journal with the most publications (51 articles). The country of corresponding authors with the most publications and the greatest number of total citations was the United States. The affiliations with the most articles were University of Toronto (67 articles) and Harvard Medical School (54 articles).

CONCLUSIONS

The increasing trend during the past 20 years, and especially in the past 2 years, highlights the advancements in various subspecialities in the field. Our analysis revealed that North American and Western European countries are at the forefront of the field. There is a poor output of publications, authors, and affiliations in Latin-American and African countries.

The Top 100 Most Cited Neurosurgical Articles on COVID-19: A Bibliometric Analysis

BACKGROUND

The first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. This study uses a bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most cited neurosurgical COVID-19-related articles to date to identify and determine their characteristics.

METHODS

The Scopus library was searched for all published articles on neurosurgery and COVID-19. The main keywords were used for the search "neurosurgery, neurosurgical, and COVID-19". English language articles reporting on neurosurgical aspects during COVID-19 were included in the study. The retrieved top 100 articles were analyzed, and the following characteristics were noted for each article: 1) article title, 2) year of publication, 3) citations, 4) first author, 5) corresponding author, 6) names of other authors, 7) journal name 8) article type, 9) study focus and 10) involvement of the patient.

RESULTS

Our search obtained articles published from December 2019 until 29 March 2022. It was observed that 93% of the documents were published in 2020. The top 100 articles have been cited 2649 times in total. The most cited article was "Factors Associated with Surgical Mortality and Complications among Patients with and without Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Italy" by Doglietto F. et al., published in JAMA Neurology in June 2020, with 124 citations.

CONCLUSIONS

This analysis facilitated in making evidence-based clinical decisions and drawing the attention of researchers to identify and contribute to the increasing scientific work by identifying the top 100 most cited neurosurgical COVID-19-related articles published.

Contribution of Saudi Neurosurgeons to the International Neurosurgical Literature: a Bibliometric Analysis of Trends Over the Last Three Decades

This review is a bibliometric analysis of the contribution of neurosurgeons from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to the international neurosurgical literature over the last three decades. The study aimed at determining changes in publication trends over time and assessing the impact of these changes on citation numbers. All publications in the PubMed-indexed neurosurgical journals that were authored by at least one Saudi neurosurgeon were selected. The articles were divided into two study groups according to publication year whether during the last decade (2011- 2020) or the previous two decades (1991- 2010). Changes in publication trends were determined by comparing the bibliometric characteristics of the articles in both groups. The impact of the changes on citation numbers was assessed by correlating the annual citation rates for the articles with their bibliometric qualities. A total of 352 publications were suitable for the review (200 articles published during 2011- 2020, and 152 during 1991- 2010). Temporal changes in the publishing journals and first authors' centres and regions were observed. The articles that were published in the last decade were associated with a significantly higher annual publication rate, a greater number of authors, centres, and countries, and a larger sample size compared to those published in the previous two decades. They also had a lower percentage of Saudi total and first authorship as well as a smaller proportion of case reports. The annual citation rate was significantly impacted by the duration from publication, sample size, and study type during both study periods. However, only during the last decade, the annual citation rate was positively influenced by the journal's impact factor, number of authors, centres, countries, and percentage of Saudi authorship. We conclude that KSA neurosurgeons' contribution to international neurosurgical journals had increased considerably over the last decade. The publications were authored by neurosurgeons from a wider range of centres and regions than in the past. A bigger portion of publications had become more multi-authored, multi-centred, and multi-national as well as reported larger sample sizes and lesser rates of case reports. The changes in publication trends correlated positively with the articles' annual citation rates. The findings could be considered encouraging.

Understanding the Ghanaian Neurosurgical Literature: A Scoping Review and Bibliometric Analysis

BACKGROUND

Research serves to bolster clinical neurosurgery by critically assessing various disease pathologies, while identifying important challenges and opportunities. However, there is limited information on the landscape of the Ghanaian neurosurgical literature.

METHODS

A scoping review and bibliometric analysis was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Embase, Global Index Medicus, and Web of Science electronic databases were searched from inception until December 21, 2021 for English language articles about neurosurgery in Ghana.

RESULTS

927 articles were identified and 66 were ultimately included in the analysis. A majority of them, 42.4%, were retrospective cohort studies, with 62.1% published after 2010. There were no randomized controlled or basic science studies. Most articles were published in the West African Journal of Medicine (24.2%) and non-infectious/non-traumatic spinal pathology was the most commonly discussed topic (22.7%); 66.7% of articles included only authors affiliated with Ghanaian institutions, and international collaborators frequently originated from the United States (15.9%). Only 22.7% of the manuscripts reported a funding source. Commonly reported challenges included limited sample sizes, delays in diagnosis and treatment, and lack of proper diagnostic tools and specialized care.

CONCLUSIONS

This review revealed that while the Ghanaian academic neurosurgery output has been increasing over time, these have been limited to cohort studies largely assessing spine pathology. The Ghanaian neurosurgical research environment may be bolstered by an increase in research funding, the establishment of longitudinal clinical databases, training in research methodology, increased incentives for researchers, strengthening of research collaborative networks, and increased engagement of neurosurgical trainees in research.

Promoting the quality and transparency of health research in China

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

To review the efforts and progress in promoting quality and transparency of health research in China and to discuss how to improve.

METHODS

We focused on three different types of health research: clinical trials, systematic reviews, and clinical practice guidelines, and summarized China's progress from their registration, implementation, and reporting stages.

RESULTS

In the last 3 decades, China's major works include the following: 1) For registration, the trials and CPGs registries have been set up, and released policies to mandate registration and submission of protocols for trials. 2) For implementation, multiple clinical research and EBM centers have been established. The ResMan platform for data management has been created and required researchers to share results data. 3) For reporting, the Chinese EQUATOR Center has been set up. Translations and extensions of the CONSORT, PRISMA, and RIGHT have been published. 4) For traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), specific guidelines for the registration and reporting of TCM research have been developed.

CONCLUSION

China has made progress in promoting research quality and transparency, especially in research registration and reporting. Nevertheless, more can be done in data management and sharing for research implementation, and good publication practices in TCM.

Scientometric Analysis of Publications from 2004-2021 in the Spine Surgery Field: A Latin American Perspective

OBJECTIVE

To determine characteristics of Latin American (LA) productivity in spine surgery published worldwide between 2004 and 2021 compared between periods and global literature.

METHODS

A comprehensive search about LA productivity in the field of spine surgery using the Scopus and PubMed databases was performed in February 2022. The results were limited to articles published in indexed journals from 2004 to 2021.

RESULTS

A total of 1447 publications were identified in the study period. The number of publications has increased across evaluated decades, with 583 between 2004 and 2013 (58.3/year) and 864 between 2014 and 2021 (108/year), and a yearly increase was demonstrated (P = 0.0001). Comparing the most productive year in the first (2012) and last decade (2020), a 1.79-fold increase was demonstrated. Brazil ranked first in productivity (51.14%), followed by Mexico (26.40%) and Argentina (8.64%). Coluna/Columna published the largest number, with 309 articles (21.35%). The top 10 institutions published at least 475 (32.82%) and the most productive was the University of Campinas (Brazil, 74).

CONCLUSIONS

This scientometric study is one of the first regional evaluations worldwide. The number of publications in the spine surgery field in Latin America has continued to increase over evaluated decades from 58.3 per year to 108, and a 1.79-fold increase between the most productive years for each decade. Brazil is still the greatest contributor (51.14%), with Mexico (26.40%) and Argentina (8.64%) as growing contributor countries. Most publications were classified as Level of Evidence 4, and this result reflects the importance of continuous research development in the quality of research for our region.

A scientometric analysis of the 100 most cited articles on magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound

Background

Diagnostic ultrasound has long been a part of a physician’s armamentarium, but transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS) is an emerging treatment of neurological disorders. Consequently, the literature in this field is increasing at a rapid pace.

Objective

This analysis was aimed to identify the top-cited articles on FUS to discern their origin, spread, current trends highlighting future impact of this novel neurosurgical intervention.

Methods

We searched the Web of Science database on 28th May 2021 and identified the top 100 cited articles. These articles were analyzed with various scientometric parameters like the authors, corresponding authors, country of corresponding author, journal of publication, year of publication. Citation based parameters including total citations, mean citations per article and mean citations, citation count, and the citation per year, citations per year and co-authors per document were studied as well in addition to Hirsch h-index, g-index, m-index, Bradford’s Law, Lotka’s law and Collaboration index.

Results

The 100 top-cited articles were published between 1998 and 2019 in 45 different journals. The average citations per document and citations per document per year were 97.78 and 12.47, respectively. The most prolific authors were Hynynen K (Medical Biophysics—Toronto), Elias WJ (Neurosurgery—Virginia), Zadicario (InSightec). The Journal of Neurosurgery published the most top-cited articles (n = 11), and most articles originated from the United States, followed by Canada. Among individual institutions, the University of Toronto was the most productive.

Conclusion

FUS is an emerging treatment of neurological disorders. With its increasing application, the FUS literature is increasing rapidly. Eleven countries contributed to the top 100 cited articles, with the top 2 countries (the United States and Canada) contributing to more than half of these articles.

Neurosurgery Research Productivity in Latin American and Caribbean Countries: A Bibliometric and Visualized Study

OBJECTIVES

Determine the bibliometric characteristics of scientific articles that address the subject of neurosurgery in Latin America and the Caribbean.

METHODS

A bibliographic search of original articles published in the Web of Science database up to 2021 was performed, without language restrictions. The terms included in the search strategy were Neurosurgery, neurosurgical procedures, and neurological surgical procedure. Articles according to the inclusion criteria in the Rayyan application were included. Subsequently, a quantitative bibliometric analysis was carried out with the bibliometrix package in R and VOSviewer.

RESULTS

We identified 882 articles published in 271 journals. The first publication was in 2006, the highest number of publications was in 2021, the annual percentage growth rate was 25.9, and the average number of citations per document was 11.2. The author with the highest number of publications was Teixeira MJ (41 articles), and the University of Sao Paulo had the highest number of articles on this topic. WORLD NEUROSURGERY was the journal with the most publications (120 articles), and the study by Carney et al (2017) was the most cited (1175 citations). The country of corresponding authors with the most publications and the greatest number of total citations was Brazil. Surgery, and Management were the most used keywords plus; however, in the most recent articles Simulation and Guidelines were used.

CONCLUSIONS

In the past decade, there has been an increase in articles on neurosurgery in Latin America and the Caribbean. Scientific production in neurosurgery must continue to increase in order to promote evidence-based medicine.