Mapping the intricate relationship between mental disorders and inflammation: research trends and pharmacological...

The etiology of mental disorders continues to present a profound conundrum, with many theoretical frameworks seeking to clarify the underlying psychopathological mechanisms. Among these, the inflammatory hypothesis suggests that immune-mediated inflammation is integral to the emergence and progression of mental disorders, thus proposing a plausible mechanism. Nonetheless, bibliometric analyses that systematically aggregate and scrutinize the existing literature within this field are lacking. To address this gap in knowledge, the present study performed comprehensive bibliometric analyses and used a visualization methodology to investigate this subject using several approaches, such as analyses of publication trends, keywords, authorship patterns, and geographical distribution, collectively encompassing a dataset of 24,226 publications. Our results revealed proliferation and persistent dynamism in this area of research over the past 26 years, with the primary research focal point being the interaction between inflammation and affective disorders, particularly depression. Furthermore, emerging areas of interest include gut microbiota, neuroimaging, and metabolism. We further discussed the pharmacological potential of targeting inflammation in psychiatric disorders regarding novel drug discovery, positing that the heterogeneous outcomes of prior trials may be attributed to insufficient stratification of inflammatory phenotypes, underscoring the need for future psychopharmacological studies to precisely align intervention strategies with patient-specific inflammatory profiles. Figuring out the intricate nexus between mental disorders and inflammation is essential to improve our understanding of psychopathology and identify novel therapeutic targets.