The Top-Cited Original Articles on the Role of Microglia in Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Bibliometric and Visualized
Mengjiao Sun1, Xiaoling Li1, Jing Sun1
1Department of Neurology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.
Background:
Microglia participants to neuronal loss during brain development, inflammation, ischemia, and neurodegeneration. This bibliometric and visualized study aimed to confirm the top 100 cited original research in the field and to analyze their characteristics.
Methods:
The Web of Science database (WOS) was retrieved using the specific search strategy. The top 100 cited original articles that focused on the role of microglia in neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) were filtered by two researchers independently. The trend of yearly publications and citations, citation densities, languages, and global contributions were analyzed. The highly cited countries, authors, institutions, and journals were visualized by bibliographic coupling analysis. The highly cited authors and journals in the references were visualized by co-citation analysis. The research hotspots were revealed by co-occurrence analysis and burst detection of author keywords.
Results:
The top 100 cited articles were published during the period 1988 to 2019. The peak of publication occurred in 2005 and 2006. The yearly total citations presented a rising trend. The highly cited articles were contributed by 26 countries, the United States was the country with the overwhelming number of publications and cited times. Stevens, Beth was the author with the largest number of cited times. Mcgeer PL was the author most frequently cited in the references. Harvard University was the institution with the greatest number of cited times and publications. Nature was the journal with the largest number of cited times. Journal of neuroscience was both the most often published and most frequently cited journal in the references. "Microglia", "inflammation", "Alzheimer's disease" were the most frequently used keywords, and their average occurred time was around 2005. "Dementia," "delirium," "priming" were keywords that averagely occurred around 2010. The burst detection revealed that "TNF-beta," "macrophage," and "inflammation" were keywords that frequently burst in recent years.
Conclusion:
This bibliometric and visualized study revealed the top 100 cited original research that discussed the role of microglia in NDs. The United States was the biggest contributor, Harford University was the most influential institution. Journal of Neuroscience was the most often published and cited journal. Alzheimer's disease was the hotspot in microglia and NDs. Recent research mainly focused on inflammation.
Insights
This study identified the top 100 cited articles on microglia and neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). The United States leads research, with Alzheimer's disease and inflammation as key focus areas.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Bibliometrics
Background:
- Microglia play a critical role in neuronal loss across various neurological conditions, including development, inflammation, ischemia, and neurodegeneration.
- Understanding the foundational research on microglia is essential for advancing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases (NDs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and analyze the characteristics of the top 100 most cited original research articles concerning the role of microglia in neurodegenerative diseases.
- To map the landscape of influential research, key contributors, and emerging trends in the field.
Main Methods:
- A bibliometric and visualized analysis was conducted using the Web of Science database.
- The top 100 cited articles were filtered, and publication trends, citation metrics, and global contributions were analyzed.
- Bibliographic coupling, co-citation analysis, and keyword co-occurrence/burst detection were employed to identify influential entities and research hotspots.
Main Results:
- The top 100 articles were published between 1988 and 2019, with a publication peak in 2005-2006.
- The United States was the leading contributor, with Harvard University as the most influential institution and Nature as a leading journal.
- Key research themes included "Microglia," "inflammation," and "Alzheimer's disease," with recent focus on "TNF-beta," "macrophage," and "inflammation."
Conclusions:
- This bibliometric study highlights the most impactful research on microglia in neurodegenerative diseases.
- The United States, Harvard University, and the Journal of Neuroscience are identified as major contributors.
- Alzheimer's disease and inflammation remain central research areas in the study of microglia's role in neurodegeneration.
