Research hotspots and emerging topics in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder treatment: Insights from a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Object: Effective treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) can greatly reduce the rate of disability and mortality among patients. NMOSD treatment studies are gaining prominence in academic circles. This study aims to depict the evolution and integration of NMOSD treatment over the past 20 years, identify key contributors in the field, clarify current research hotspots, and explore emerging topics that may guide future research directions.

Method: Articles in this field from 2004 to 2023 were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). After conducting a literature search, a comprehensive bibliometric and knowledge mapping analysis was carried out on the retrieved articles using tools such as VOSviewer, Bibliometrix, and CiteSpace.

Result: The rapid growth in annual publications in this field indicates rapid progress and innovation. USA, Mayo Clinic, and Fujihara K led in productivity and impact, while the multiple sclerosis and related disorders topped in publication volume. The research hotspots in this field mainly focus on targeted biological agents. Additionally, this study has identified 3 emerging themes and conducted an in-depth exploration of their future development trends.

Conclusion: In summary, this bibliometric analysis provides for the first time a comprehensive framework and frontier hot spot analysis in the field of NMOSD treatment, offering references for researchers in the field and contributing to the further development of the field.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04227470.

Keywords: NMOSD; bibliometrics; developing trends; neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder; treatment; visual analysis.

Figure 1.

(A) The flow diagram of literature enrollment and data screening; (B) annual output and citation counts of publications on NMOSD treatment from 2004 to 2023. NMOSD = neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

Figure 2.

Analysis of the countries/regions and institutions in NMOSD treatment research from 2004 to 2023. (A) The cooperation network among countries; (B) ranking of the top 20 countries/regions that have published the most articles; (C) visualization of institutional collaborations; (D) ranking of the top 20 institutions that have published the most articles. NMOSD = neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

Figure 3.

Analysis of the authors in NMOSD treatment research from 2004 to 2023. (A) Collaborative network map among authors; (B and C) inter-cluster cooperation network between academic teams. NMOSD = neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

Figure 4.

Journal analysis for research of NMOSD treatment (2004–2023). (A) Ranking of the top 20 most productive journals; (B) core sources by Bradford Law. NMOSD = neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

Figure 5.

Analysis of the author keywords in NMOSD treatment research from 2004 to 2023. (A) Keyword co-occurrence density map; (B) keyword clustering network graph; (C) time-zone view of keyword co-occurrence. NMOSD = neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

Figure 6.

Analysis of the references in NMOSD treatment research from 2004 to 2023. (A) Timeline visualization of co-cited references; (B) top 25 references with the strongest citation bursts. NMOSD = neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.