A bibliometric analysis of neurosurgical articles published in the Persian language (2000-2025)

Iran has a long-standing medical tradition, and modern neurosurgery has developed rapidly since the mid-20^th century. Although Iranian neurosurgical research output has increased overall, no comprehensive bibliometric analysis has specifically examined Persian-language neurosurgical publications and their methodological characteristics. This study aimed to evaluate the quantitative trends, thematic focus, and level of evidence (LOE) of Persian-language neurosurgical publications affiliated with Iranian institutions.

This bibliometric study systematically identified Persian-language neurosurgical publications from Iranian institutions using the Scientific Information Database, Magiran, and Google Scholar databases. All article types were included if at least one author was affiliated with an Iranian institution. Data extracted included publication year, study design, study type, thematic focus, subspecialty, journal indexing status, authorship characteristics, and LOE based on the British Medical Journal criteria. Temporal trends were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression.

A total of 602 articles published between 2000 and 2025 across 94 Persian journals were analyzed. Most of the studies involved human subjects (84.5%), with a predominance of case reports/series (26%) and cross-sectional studies (22.9%). Clinical studies and patient surveys constituted the majority of publications. Neurotrauma, tumors, and degenerative spine diseases were the most common subjects. Nearly half of the studies were classified as LOE V (48.8%), while LOE II studies accounted for 10.1%. Over time, the proportion of randomized controlled trials and LOE II studies increased significantly, whereas cross-sectional studies and case reports declined. Overall publication volume decreased significantly.

Persian-language neurosurgical research in Iran shows improving methodological quality despite declining publication volume, likely reflecting a shift toward international journals. Strengthening international collaboration, improving journal indexing, and expanding research in underrepresented subspecialties are essential to enhance the global impact of Iranian neurosurgical scholarship.