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. 2024 May 21:15:1406977.
doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1406977. eCollection 2024.

Research hotspots and trends of microRNAs in spinal cord injury: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis

Baoyang Hu #  1 , Yue Zhao #  2 , Chao Chen  1 , Bin Wu  1 , Hongbin Zhang  1 , Bin Liu  1 , Runquan Zheng  3 , Fang Fang  1
Affiliations

Research hotspots and trends of microRNAs in spinal cord injury: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis

Baoyang Hu et al. Front Neurol. .

Abstract

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a nervous system disease leading to motor and sensory dysfunction below the injury level, and can result in paralysis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a key role in SCI treatment, and related research provides insights for SCI diagnosis and treatment. Bibliometrics is an important tool for literature statistics and evaluation, objectively summarizing multidimensional information. This study comprehensively overviews the field through bibliometric analysis of miRNA and SCI research, providing contemporary resources for future collaboration and clinical treatment.

Materials and methods: In this study, we searched the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database. After careful screening and data import, we extracted annual publications, citation counts, countries, institutions, authors, journals, highly cited articles, co-cited articles, keywords, and H-index. Bibliometrics and visualization analyses employed VOSviewer, CiteSpace, the R package "bibliometrix," and online analytic platforms. Using Arrowsmith, we determined miRNA-SCI relationships and discussed potential miRNA mechanisms in SCI.

Results: From 2008 to 2024, the number of related papers increased annually, reaching 754. The number of yearly publications remained high and entered a period of rapid development. Researchers from 50 countries/regions, 802 institutions, 278 journals, and 3,867 authors participated in the field. Currently, China has advantages in the number of national papers, citations, institutions, and authors. However, it is necessary to strengthen cooperation among different authors, institutions, and countries to promote the production of important academic achievements. The research in the field currently focuses on nerve injury, apoptosis, and gene expression. Future research directions mainly involve molecular mechanisms, clinical trials, exosomes, and inflammatory reactions.

Conclusion: Overall, this study comprehensively analyzes the research status and frontier of miRNAs in SCI. A systematic summary provides a complete and intuitive understanding of the relationship between SCI and miRNAs. The presented findings establish a basis for future research and clinical application in this field.

Keywords: bibliometrics; inflammation; miRNAs; nerve; spinal cord injury.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The inclusion and exclusion process of miRNAs in SCI research.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Annual publication volume and annual cumulative publication volume.
Figure 3
Figure 3
National/regional contributions of miRNAs and SCI-related research. (A) Comparative map of the cumulative number of papers published in each Countries/regions. (B) Countries/regions cited frequency bubble map. (C) Cooperation networks in countries/regions around the world.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Institutional contribution on miRNAs in SCI research. (A) Top 10 institutions by publication volume. (B) Top 10 most cited institutions. (C) Top 10 intermediary centrality value of research institutions. (D) A visual network map of research institution contributions and collaborations.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Journal characteristics of miRNAs and SCI-related research. (A) Top 10 journals by publication volume. (B) Top 10 most cited journals. (C) Top 10 journal H-index. (D) The dual-map overlay of journals in WOSCC. (E) Visual network map of core journals. (F) Visual density view of the core journals.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Journal characteristics of miRNAs and SCI-related research. (A) Top 10 journals by publication volume. (B) Top 10 most cited journals. (C) Top 10 journal H-index. (D) The dual-map overlay of journals in WOSCC. (E) Visual network map of core journals. (F) Visual density view of the core journals.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Author contribution on miRNAs in SCI research. (A) Top 10 authors by publication volume. (B) Top 10 most cited authors. (C) Top 10 author H-index. (D) A visual network map of author contributions and collaborations.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Characteristics of highly cited and co-citation articles on miRNAs and SCI. (A) Visual network diagram of the cited article. (B) Visual density view of the cited articles. (C) Visual network diagram of co-cited articles. (D) Visual density view of co-cited articles.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Keyword analysis of miRNAs and SCI research. (A) Keyword clustering network map. (B) Keyword clustering analysis. (C) Keyword co-occurrence timeline by keywords on miRNAs in SCI. (D) Top 20 Keyword with the strongest citation bursts on miRNAs in SCI.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Potential keyword analysis of miRNAs and SCI research. (A) Venn diagrams for keywords of prediction and confirmation groups. (B) GO analysis of the potential key genes. (C) KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of the potential key genes. (D) PPI network of miRNA-related targets in SCI. (E) Hub genes of miRNA-related targets in SCI.
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