Global research landscape of autoimmune nodopathy: a 20-year bibliometric analysis (2005-2025)

Autoimmune nodopathy (AN) is a recently recognized, rare immune-mediated neuropathy characterized by autoantibodies targeting nodal and paranodal proteins such as neurofascin-155 and contactin-1. Since its classification as a distinct entity in 2021 by European Academy of Neurology/Peripheral Nerve Society, scientific interest in AN has rapidly increased. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to identify research trends, influential publications, leading authors, institutions, and collaboration networks in the field of AN between 2005 and 2025.

A literature search was performed in the Web of Science Core Collection using AN-related keywords. A total of 109 original English-language articles were included based on defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used for network visualization and citation burst analysis. Descriptive statistics and trend projections were conducted using SPSS and Microsoft Excel.

A marked increase in publications was observed after 2021, coinciding with the formal definition of AN. The most productive countries were France, Germany, Spain, and Japan. Querol Luis, Sommer Claudia, and Doppler Kathrin emerged as leading authors. Highly cited articles focused on the pathogenesis and antibody profiles of AN. Keywords such as "neurofascin," "IgG4," and "autoimmune nodopathy" dominated the thematic clusters.

This is first bibliometric analysis to systematically examine the scientific landscape of AN. Despite growing research interest, there remains a significant gap in large-scale epidemiological studies and randomized controlled trials. Our findings provide a roadmap for future research, highlighting the importance of international collaboration and antibody-based stratification in the diagnosis and treatment of AN.