Bibliometric analysis of orexin: A promising neuropeptide

Abstract

Background: Orexin is an excitatory neuropeptide produced in the lateral hypothalamus, playing a role in various physiological functions in humans. There is a growing body of literature on orexins. This paper utilizes CiteSpace software to organize and analyze a significant number of articles on orexin, providing readers with an intuitive overview of research trends and emerging hot topics in this field.

Methods: The electronic database, Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), was searched for publications related to orexins. Annual publications, countries/regions, institutions, authors and keywords were analyzed, and the results were visualized via CiteSpace software.

Results: A total of 5486 publications were included, with articles making up 85.30% and reviews 14.70%. The top 3 countries publishing the most papers on orexins were the United States (2057 papers), Japan (778), and China (556). The leading institutions included Research Libraries UK (278), Harvard University (250), and Stanford University (221). The most prolific authors in the field were Yves Dauvilliers (69), Abbas Haghparast (67), and Takeshi Sakurai (66). The most frequently used keywords were "neurons" (981), followed by "sleep" (824), "food intake" (612), "receptors" (547), and "neuropathology" (535). Recent research hotspots include melanin-concentrating hormone neurons, Alzheimer disease, gamma-aminobutyric acid neurons, oxidative stress, suvorexant, the orexin system, prevalence, and stress. Based on keyword clustering analysis, the top 5 research hotspots from 2003 to 2022 were: the effects of orexins on sleep and metabolism, potential pathways of orexin signaling, the relationship between orexin and immunity, new findings on depression and hypertension related to orexin, and possible targets for neurodegenerative diseases.

Conclusion: Orexin, a neuropeptide linked to various physiological and pathological processes, plays a crucial role in sleep/wakefulness, reward mechanisms, stress responses, and neurodegenerative diseases. Its significant research value and potential medical applications are underscored by the rapid expansion of studies, particularly in the USA and Japan. However, the lack of collaboration among researchers highlights the need for enhanced academic exchange and cooperation to further advance the field of orexin research.

Figure 1.

Research Flowchart. TS = topic search, WoSCC = Web of Science Core Collection.

Figure 2.

The growth trend of the publications on orexin from 2003 to 2022.

Figure 3.

Number of citations of the publications on orexin from 2003 to 2022.

Figure 4.

(A) The top 25 most productive countries or regions. USA indicates the United States; and People’s R China, People’s Republic of China. (B) The cooperation network of countries or regions in the field of orexin research.

Figure 5.

The cooperation network of institutions in the field of orexin. CHU = Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, RLUK = Research Libraries of the United Kingdom.

Figure 6.

Co-authorship network in the field of orexin research.

Figure 7.

Analysis of co-occurring keywords in research papers on orexins.

Figure 8.

Keywords with the strongest citation bursts. (Keywords marked in red indicate a sudden increase in the usage frequency during that period. Blue represents a relatively unpopular time period.)

Figure 9.

Clustered networks of keywords drawn via CiteSpace. The top 19 largest clusters are shown.