Research progress in neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury: a bibliometric study from 2013 to 2024

Frontiers in Neurology, 2024 · DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1486584 · Published: December 24, 2024

Spinal Cord Injury Pain Management Research Methodology & Design

Simple Explanation

Neuropathic pain (NP) is a common and challenging complication after spinal cord injury (SCI), significantly impacting patients' quality of life. This study analyzes research trends in NP after SCI using bibliometric methods to understand current research directions and hotspots. The study examines publications, journals, authors, references, and keywords from 2013 to 2024 using CiteSpace software. This analysis helps to identify research focal points and provides a theoretical groundwork for future investigations into post-SCI pain. Bibliometrics, a quantitative statistical analysis tool, is used to scrutinize research trends, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of development processes within specific fields. CiteSpace is employed to conduct a bibliometric analysis of publications on NP after SCI.

Study Duration

12 Years

Participants

Not specified

Evidence Level

Systematic Review

Key Findings

1
There was an overall upward trend in the number of publications on neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury between 2013 and 2024.
2
The top journals publishing on this topic include Spinal Cord, Journal of Neurotrauma, and Pain, indicating a focus on neuroscience and pain-related research.
3
Keyword analysis reveals that signaling pathway, neuroinflammation, neuralgia, spinal cord stimulation, inhibition, and depression have emerged as new research hotspots.

Research Summary

This study provides a bibliometric analysis of neuropathic pain (NP) research after spinal cord injury (SCI) from 2013 to 2024, using CiteSpace to analyze publications, journals, authors, references, and keywords from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC). The study identified key journals, authors, and trending keywords, revealing an upward trend in publications and highlighting research hotspots such as signaling pathways and neuroinflammation. It also pinpoints influential researchers like Armin Curt and Nanna Brix Finnerup. The findings offer insights into the intellectual structure of the NP after SCI field, suggesting that future research may focus on exercise therapy, depression, neuroinflammation, and quantitative sensory testing, providing a valuable reference for future studies.

Practical Implications

Informed Research Directions

Researchers can leverage the identified research hotspots (e.g., signaling pathways, neuroinflammation) to guide future studies and funding applications.

Targeted Knowledge Acquisition

Clinicians can focus on key journals and authors identified in the study to stay updated on the most relevant and impactful research in NP after SCI.

Improved Treatment Strategies

Understanding the research trends, especially regarding therapeutic prospects and emerging roles, can aid in the development of more effective and targeted treatment strategies for NP after SCI.

Study Limitations

1
The study only included data from the WOSCC database, potentially missing relevant publications from other sources.
2
The analysis was limited to English-language articles, excluding research published in other languages.
3
The search strategies may not have been fully comprehensive, possibly leading to the omission of relevant articles.

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