Gamma-aminobutyric acid associated research in Parkinson's disease: an exploratory trends analysis

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), as a key inhibitory neurotransmitter, participates in physiological processes such as cognition and motor control by regulating the balance of neuronal excitability. Related studies have found that the GABAergic signaling abnormalities in the basal ganglia and thalamocortical circuits are closely associated with the motor dysfunction and non-motor symptoms of PD. This study aimed to analyze GABA and PD research literature to further identify hotspots, frontiers, and development directions.

Data were obtained from the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases. VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used to visualize and perform quantitative analyses.

From 2001 to 2024, a total of 630 publications related to GABA and PD were identified, and the annual publication count fluctuated with an overall upward trend. The United States and China contributed a large number of publications. Karolinska Institute was the leading research institution. Neuroscience published the most papers related to GABA and PD. Dr. Morari, Michele was the most prolific author. The keywords with high frequency focused on the core pathological mechanisms and the imbalance of neurotransmitters, the neural anatomical structure and functional circuits, the main research methods and models, and the treatment strategies. In recent years, α-synuclein, oxidative stress, and anxiety have emerged as research topics with higher burst intensity.

This study delineates a comprehensive knowledge structure of GABA and PD research. Enhanced collaboration among authors across institutions and countries is pivotal to advancing the field. The mechanism of GABA in the basal ganglia region is a focus of current research. The detrimental effects of α-synuclein and oxidative stress on the GABAergic system and the non-motor symptom of anxiety are likely to be the frontiers of future research.