Knowledge domain and emerging trends in visual hallucination research: A scientometric analysis.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Ophthalmology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Visual hallucination (VH) is a perception without external stimuli, linked to significant quality of life reduction.
• VH is associated with ophthalmological and neuropsychiatric disorders, leading to increased healthcare utilization.
• A comprehensive scientometric analysis of VH research was previously lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scientometric analysis of global research on visual hallucinations (VH).
• To identify key research areas, influential authors, and geographic distributions in VH studies.
• To uncover emerging trends and hotspots in the field of visual hallucination research.

Main Methods:

• Utilized CiteSpace V for scientometric analysis of 2176 articles and 465 reviews from Web of Science.
• Analyzed publication outputs, document types, geographic spread, and author collaborations.
• Performed co-citation analysis and clustering to identify research hotspots and emerging trends.

Main Results:

• Publications are concentrated in neurology, sports, and ophthalmology, with North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia as leading regions.
• Neuropsychiatric symptoms and functional connectivity are identified as major research hotspots.
• Research on VH in Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies is prominent, with PD mechanisms as an emerging trend.

Conclusions:

• Visual hallucination research has established a comprehensive knowledge base.
• Further large-scale clinical and basic research is needed to elucidate VH mechanisms.
• Understanding VH pathophysiology and mechanisms is crucial for developing effective therapeutic strategies.