The Most Influential Papers in Infectious Meningitis Research: A Bibliometric Study

Global research trends in central nervous system tuberculosis - A bibliometric analysis

Background

Central Nervous System Tuberculosis (CNS-TB) is a serious public health concern causing significant morbidity and mortality, especially in high TB burden countries. Despite the expanding research landscape of CNS-TB, there is no comprehensive map of this field. This work aims to (1) obtain a current and comprehensive overview of the CNS-TB research landscape, (2) investigate the intellectual and social structure of CNS-TB publications, and (3) detect geographical discrepancies in scientific production, highlighting regions requiring increased research focus.

Methods

We conducted a bibliometric analysis on CNS-TB literature indexed in Web of Science from 2000 to 2022, evaluating 2130 articles. The dataset was analyzed in R for descriptive statistics. We used R-bibliometrix and VOSViewer for data visualization.

Findings

Publication output grew annually at an average rate of 6·88%, driven primarily by India and China. International collaborations comprised 16·44% of total publications but contributed to 11 of the 15 top-cited papers. Additionally, we identified discrepancies of CNS-TB research in many low- and middleincome countries relative to their TB incidence.

Interpretation

Our findings reveal a growing interest in CNS-TB research from China and India, countries with rapidly developing economies, high TB burdens, and a recent increase in research funding. Furthermore, we found that international collaborations are correlated with high impact and accessibility of CNS-TB research. Finally, we identified disparities in CNS-TB research in specific countries, particularly in many low- and middle-income countries, emphasizing the need for increased research focus in these regions.

Publication Trends of Research on Intrathecal Baclofen Therapy: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Literature

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to analyze the trends in publications on intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy.

METHODS

We searched Elsevier's Scopus database in February 2022 to find articles focused on ITB therapy. Data extracted included citation count, publication year, author's country and income category, journal and its 5-year impact factor, research type, disease requiring ITB, and target population.

RESULTS

The analysis covered 615 articles from 1985 to 2022. The average citation count per article was 27.47 (95% confidence interval 23.75-31.18) and the mean impact factor was 4.54 (95% confidence interval 3.84-5.24). The majority (76.42%) were primary research, with 8.1% being interventional and 91.9% observational. Even so, one half of the top ten most cited were interventional. Secondary research and case reports made up 12.68% and 10.73% respectively, with narrative reviews making up most of the secondary research (79.48%). Only 1 study conducted a meta-analysis. The United States was the most prolific country. High-income countries published 96.42% of articles.

CONCLUSIONS

The rising number of ITB articles and citations indicates growing interest and expanding knowledge in this field. However, there's a notable scarcity of research from low- and middle-income countries, particularly those with high prevalence of ITB-treatable diseases. The need for more evidence to overcome potential barriers to ITB implementation is emphasized. Despite an increasing number of publications, a large proportion presented low levels of evidence, such as case reports and narrative reviews, highlighting the need for more rigorous research methods to solidify the evidence base for ITB therapy.

Repercussions of the Emergency neurological life support on scientific literature: a bibliometric study

BACKGROUND

 In 2012, the Neurocritical Care Society launched a compilation of protocols regarding the core issues that should be addressed within the first hours of neurological emergencies - the Emergency neurological life support (ENLS).

OBJECTIVE

 We aim to evaluate this repercussion through a bibliometric analysis.

METHODS

 We searched Scopus on October 2022 for articles mentioning ENLS. The following variables were obtained: number of citations; number of citations per year; number of publications per year; year of publication; research type; research subtype; country of corresponding author and its income category and world region; journal of publication and its 5-year impact factor (IF); and section where ENLS appeared.

RESULTS

 After applying eligibility criteria, we retrieved 421 articles, published from 2012 to 2022. The mean number of citations per article was 17.46 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 8.20-26.72), while the mean number of citations per year per article was 4.05 (95% CI = 2.50-5.61). The mean destiny journal 5-year IF was 5.141 (95% CI = 4.189-6.093). The majority of articles were secondary research (57.48%; n = 242/421) of which most were narrative reviews (71.90%; n = 174/242). High-Income countries were the most prominent (80.05%; n = 337/421 articles). There were no papers from low-income countries. There were no trials or systematic reviews from middle-income countries.

CONCLUSION

 Although still low, the number of publications mentioning ENLS is increasing. Articles were mainly published in journals of intensive care medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, and emergency medicine. Most articles were published by authors from high-income countries. The majority of papers were secondary research, with narrative review as the most frequent subtype.

Classics of infectious diseases: A bibliometric analysis of the 100 most cited articles

In our study, the 100 most cited publications in the field of "Infectious Diseases" in the WOS database were evaluated bibliometrically. "Web of Science" database "advanced mode" feature was used. A search was made in the field of "Infectious Diseases." The top 100 most cited publications were determined. The total number of citations of the publications, the annual number of citations, the authors, the information of the study and the journal were analyzed. There were a total of 552,828 publications in the field of "Infectious Diseases" in the WOS between 1975 and 2023. The total citation average of the 100 most cited publications was 2246.02 ± 2165.35 and the annual citation average was 208.04 ± 215.00. The first 3 subjects in the first hundred articles were listed as antibiotic resistance (21%), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (17%) and gram positive agents (10%). The first 3 journals in which the studies were published the most were determined as "Clinical Infectious Diseases" (33%), "Lancet Infectious Diseases" (20%), and "Emerging Infectious Diseases" (9%). A significant relationship was found between the subject of the study, the quarter (Q) category of the journal, the continent of authors and publisher, the funding status, the year of publication, the open access status and the number of citations per year (P < .0001). Our study is the first to analyze the top 100 most cited studies in the field of "Infectious Diseases" in the literature and their citation characteristics. Most of the most cited studies on the subject were on antibiotic resistance. The study subject, author, journal, publisher and publication access features, funding status and publication year affect the number of citations per year.

Malaria research in the Central African Republic from 1987 to 2020: an overview

Background

The national malaria control policy in the Central African Republic (CAR) promotes basic, clinical, and operational research on malaria in collaboration with national and international research institutions. Preparatory work for the elaboration of National Strategic Plans for the implementation of the national malaria control policy includes developing the research component, thus requiring an overview of national malaria research. Here, this survey aims to provide an inventory of malaria research as a baseline for guiding researchers and health authorities in choosing the future avenues of research.

Methods

Data sources and search strategy were defined to query the online Medline/PubMed database using the “medical subject headings” tool. Eligibility and study inclusion criteria were applied to the selected articles, which were classified based on year, research institute affiliations, and research topic.

Results

A total of 118 articles were retrieved and 51 articles were ultimately chosen for the bibliometric analysis. The number of publications on malaria has increased over time from 1987 to 2020. These articles were published in 32 different journals, the most represented being the Malaria Journal (13.73%) and the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (11.76%). The leading research topics were drug evaluation (52.94%), expatriate patients (23.54%), malaria in children (17.65%), morbidity (13.7%), and malaria during pregnancy (11.76%). The publications’ authors were mainly affiliated with the Institut Pasteur of Bangui (41%), the French Military Medical Service (15.5%), and the University of Bangui (11.7%). Collaborations were mostly established with France, the UK, and the USA; some collaborations involved Switzerland, Austria, Pakistan, Japan, Sri Lanka, Benin, Cameroun, Ivory Coast, and Madagascar. The main sources of research funding were French agencies (28.6%) and international agencies (18.3%). Most studies included were not representative of the whole country. The CAR has the capacity to carry out research on malaria and to ensure the necessary collaborations.

Conclusion

Malaria research activities in the CAR seem to reflect the priorities of national policy. One remaining challenge is to develop a more representative approach to better characterize malaria cases across the country. Finally, future research and control measures need to integrate the effect of COVID-19.