A bibliometric analysis of hepatolenticular degeneration research in traditional Chinese medicine using CiteSpace and VOSviewer: A study protocol for systematic review

The purpose of this review was to analyze treatments for hepatolenticular degeneration (HLD) in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), exploring the potential mechanisms and latest advances, as well as potential future directions.

We searched articles from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Wanfang database, the Chinese Medical Journal Database, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase. We used CiteSpace (version 5.8. R3) and VOSviewer (version 1.6.17) software for visual analysis of bibliometrics.

We selected a final total of 532 studies for visual analysis. In terms of authors, Yang Wenming was the most prolific author in this field, and there were 5 coauthor teams, namely Yang Renmin's team, Bao Yuancheng's team, Yang Wenming's team, Chen Huaizhen's team, and Han Hui's team. The top 5 research topics focused on TCM syndrome (13.45%), clinical efficacy (9.45%), integrative medicine (6.91%), liver fibrosis (6.36%), and cognitive dysfunction (4.18%). The top 5 clusters were "#1 Gandouling tablet," "#2 Gandou Fumu decoction," "#4 Gandou decoction," "#5 Clinical Efficacy," and "#8 Theoretical research." Research hotspots changed over the past decades, and current studies looked at damp-heat syndrome, phlegm stasis syndrome, and the efficacy of prescriptions.

Currently, studies in TCM syndromes are relatively limited, and although the field of TCM in HLD is rapidly developing with established networks of teams and collaborations, large-scale collaboration is still in its infancy. Looking toward the future, despite the deficiencies in this field, it is crucial to further explore the advantages of integrative medicine for treating HLD.