Astrocytes in Neuropathic Pain: Mechanistic and Global Insights

Neuropathic pain (NP) is a debilitating chronic pain condition caused by injury or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. Accumulating evidence indicates that astrocytes play a central role in neuroinflammatory regulation and synaptic remodeling, thereby critically influencing the initiation and persistence of NP. However, a comprehensive overview of research trends and knowledge structures in this field is still lacking.

The analysis was conducted based on publications retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and Scopus, covering the period from 2000 to 2025. Studies focusing on astrocytes and NP were systematically identified. Visualization and network analyses were performed using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and the R package bibliometrix. Collaboration networks, cocitation patterns, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic evolution were analyzed to delineate research hotspots, developmental trajectories, and scholarly contributions across countries, institutions, authors, and journals.

A total of 1828 publications were included, showing a 15% average annual growth in output, which accelerated post-2010. The United States and China led in research and international collaboration, with studies concentrated in North American and East Asian institutions. Author productivity was uneven, with key researchers (Ji RR, Zhang Y, Watkins LR) contributing heavily to publications and citations. Pain and Molecular Pain were the core journals. Key themes included spinal astrocytic mechanisms, glial activation, and therapeutic modulation, with the focus evolving from injury models/markers to astrocytic activation and targeted pathways.

Our analysis shows a substantial growth in astrocyte-related NP research over the past 25 years, underscoring astrocytes' key role in chronic pain pathophysiology. Current trends underscore the integration of mechanistic insights with translational relevance, thereby informing future therapeutic and mechanistic advancements in NP.