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Background: The aims of this bibliometric analysis were (1) a longitudinal analysis of the publication landscape in the field of pain (1975-2020) and (2) to characterize the overall publication profiles for two selected journals: European Journal of Pain and PAIN® utilizing an automated approach., Methods: Database searches in Scopus extracted all journals with 'pain' in their title. For the two specific journals, papers were manually/automatically profiled into preclinical, human and translational studies., Results: A gross list of 64 journals in the field of pain consisting of both active and ceased journals in Scopus were included in this analysis which identified 62,565 papers with approximately 4000 papers published/year. These papers include 2759 and 9156 papers in Eur. J. Pain and PAIN®, respectively. Currently, there are 24 active 'pain' journals. Authors/paper increase from 2 to 7 indicating a development from mono-disciplinary to multi-disciplinary studies. The overall publication profiles assessing preclinical, human (experimental/clinical) and translational papers in Eur. J. Pain and PAIN® were almost similar (14%, 75% and 10% versus 26%, 63% and 10%). Papers have changed over the years from mono-disciplinary studies (e.g. behavioural studies) to multi-disciplinary studies (e.g. combined behavioural and cell studies). After optimization, the search model matched the manual screening by 100%, 98% and 96% for the preclinical, clinical and healthy volunteer categories., Conclusions: Over the last 45 years, more than 60,000 pain-related papers have been published. Papers develop over the years from mono-disciplinary to multi-disciplinary studies. The overall publication profile including preclinical, human (experimental/clinical) and translational papers was almost similar in Eur. J. Pain and PAIN®., Significance: The bibliometric analysis of a pain journal provides information on which specific areas of research are published, how this may have changed over the years and how a journal is positioned compared with other journals in the field., (© 2023 European Pain Federation ‐ EFIC ®.)

Migraine is a form of primary headache that affects at least 10% of the world's population. In addition to advising patients to modify their lifestyles, the management of migraine includes terminating ongoing attacks and/or preventing attacks from occurring. Pharmacological agents of both nonspecific (for example, non-narcotic analgesics), and specific actions can be used for the abortive treatment of this form of headache. Specific treatments include, in particular, serotoninergic agents: triptans (selective 5-HT1B/1D receptor agonists), ditans (selective 5-HT1F-mimetics) and ergot alkaloids (non-selective modulators of various subtypes of 5-HT receptor). This review presents the currently known results from many basic and applied studies of drugs from these groups, identifying the neuronal and vascular components of their anti-migraine pharmacodynamics. Significant quantities of these data were obtained in vivo in a variety of experimental models of migraine based on the trigeminovascular theory of its pathogenesis. Other information is based on ex vivo work on isolated tissues and cell cultures. Analysis of results from these studies yielded evidence in favor of the notion that the anti-migraine potential of members of all of these pharmacological classes is mediated by similar mechanisms, whereby neurotropic activity dominates over direct intervention in vascular tone. Special attention is paid to uncertain and controversial issues in this area, whose successful solution is key to further progress in the pharmacotherapy of migraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons (CSF-cNS) are considered mechanoreceptors and chemoreceptors involved in detecting changes in CSF circulation. However, considering that recent data suggest that this type of cell could exert an active response when an external stimulus is sensed, identification of CSF-cNS may be relevant. In this regard, some data suggest that a neuronal connection exists between the ventral region of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and rostral agranular insular cortex (RAIC); indeed, a potential CSF-cNS is hypothesized. However, a detailed analysis of this connection has not been conducted. Thus, using neuronal tracers (Fluoro-Gold® (FG) and cholera toxin (ChT)) coupled with transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence assays against Fluoro-Gold®, oxytocin (OXT), vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin receptors (OTR), we describe an oxytocinergic or vasopressinergic CSF-cNS between the PVN and RAIC. Our results showed that CSF-cNS along the PVN labelled with oxytocin and/or AVP were present in dendritic projections near the third ventricle. This CSF-cNS in the PVN seems to project to the RAIC. Inside the RAIC, ultrastructural analysis showed that axons immunopositive for oxytocin from the PVN sustained synaptic connections with neurons that expressed OTR. These findings show that the CSF-cNS from the PVN sends projections to the RAIC. To the best of our knowledge, the relevance of CSF-cNS has not been elucidated; however, we hypothesized that the activation of cells could concomitantly release neuropeptides (i.e., oxytocin and AVP) in the CSF and RAIC. Thus, further analysis of the impact of neuropeptides released into the third ventricle and RAIC is warranted., (© 2024 The Author(s). European Journal of Neuroscience published by Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The concept of Alzheimer disease (AD)—since its histological discovery by Alzheimer to the present day—has undergone substantial modifications. Methods: We conducted a classical narrative review of this field with a bibliography selection (giving preference to Medline best match). Results: The following subjects are reviewed and discussed: Alzheimer's discovery, Kraepelin's creation of a new disease that was a rare condition until the 1970′s, the growing interest and investment in AD as a major killer in a society with a large elderly population in the second half of the 20th century, the consolidation of the AD clinicopathological model, and the modern AD nosology based on the dominant amyloid hypothesis among many others. In the 21st century, the development of AD biomarkers has supported a novel biological definition of AD, although the proposed therapies have failed to cure this disease. The incidence of dementia/AD has shown a decrease in affluent countries (possibly due to control of risk factors), and mixed dementia has been established as the most frequent etiology in the oldest old. Conclusions: The current concept of AD lacks unanimity. Many hypotheses attempt to explain its complex physiopathology entwined with aging, and the dominant amyloid cascade has yielded poor therapeutic results. The reduction in the incidence of dementia/AD appears promising but it should be confirmed in the future. A reevaluation of the AD concept is also necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite hypothalamus has long being considered to be involved in the pathophysiology of cluster headache, the inconsistencies of previous neuroimaging studies and a limited understanding of the hypothalamic areas involved, impede a comprehensive interpretation of its involvement in this condition. Methods: We used an automated algorithm to extract hypothalamic subunit volumes from 105 cluster headache patients (57 chronic and 48 episodic) and 59 healthy individuals; after correcting the measures for the respective intracranial volumes, we performed the relevant comparisons employing logist regression models. Only for subunits that emerged as abnormal, we calculated their correlation with the years of illness and the number of headache attacks per day, and the effects of lithium treatment. As a post-hoc approach, using the 7 T resting-state fMRI dataset from the Human Connectome Project, we investigated whether the observed abnormal subunit, comprising the paraventricular nucleus and preoptic area, shows robust functional connectivity with the mesocorticolimbic system, which is known to be modulated by oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus and that is is abnormal in chronic cluster headache patients. Results: Patients with chronic (but not episodic) cluster headache, compared to control participants, present an increased volume of the anterior–superior hypothalamic subunit ipsilateral to the pain, which, remarkably, also correlates significantly with the number of daily attacks. The post-hoc approach showed that this hypothalamic area presents robust functional connectivity with the mesocorticolimbic system under physiological conditions. No evidence of the effects of lithium treatment on this abnormal subunit was found. Conclusions: We identified the ipsilateral-to-the-pain antero-superior subunit, where the paraventricular nucleus and preoptic area are located, as the key hypothalamic region of the pathophysiology of chronic cluster headache. The significant correlation between the volume of this area and the number of daily attacks crucially reinforces this interpretation. The well-known roles of the paraventricular nucleus in coordinating autonomic and neuroendocrine flow in stress adaptation and modulation of trigeminovascular mechanisms offer important insights into the understanding of the pathophysiology of cluster headache. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate if vessel‐wall magnetic resonance imaging (VW‐MRI) could differentiate among primary headaches disorders, such as migraine and cluster headache (CH), and detect the presence of neurogenic inflammation. Background: The pathophysiology of primary headaches disorders is complex and not completely clarified. The activation of nociceptive trigeminal afferents through the release of vasoactive neuropeptides, termed "neurogenic inflammation," has been hypothesized. VW‐MRI can identify vessel wall changes, reflecting the inflammatory remodeling of the vessel walls despite different etiologies. Methods: In this case series, we enrolled seven patients with migraine and eight patients with CH. They underwent a VW‐MRI study before and after the intravenous administration of contrast medium, during and outside a migraine attack or cluster period. Two expert neuroradiologists analyzed the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies to identify the presence of vessel wall enhancement or other vascular abnormalities. Results: Fourteen out of 15 patients had no enhancement. One out of 15, with migraine, showed a focal parietal enhancement in the intracranial portion of a vertebral artery, unmodified during and outside the attack, thus attributable to atherosclerosis. No contrast enhancement attributable to neurogenic inflammation was observed in VW‐MRI, both during and outside the attack/cluster in all patients. Moreover, MRI angiography registered slight diffuse vasoconstriction in one of seven patients with migraine during the attack and in one of eight patients with cluster headache during the cluster period; both patients had taken triptans as symptomatic therapy for pain. Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest that VW‐MRI studies are negative in patients with primary headache disorders even during migraine attacks or cluster periods. The VW‐MRI studies did not detect signs of neurogenic inflammation in the intracranial intradural vessels of patients with migraine or CH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. Early prediction of PD can increase the chances of earlier intervention and delay the onset of the disease. Vocal impairment is one of the most important signs in the early stages of PD. Therefore, PD detection based on speech analysis and vocal patterns has attracted significant attention recently. In this paper, we propose a vowel-based artificial neural network (ANN) model for PD prediction based on single vowel phonation. Firstly, we propose a novel multi-layer neural network based on speech features to predict PD. The speech samples from 48 PD patients and 20 healthy individuals are processed into four types: vowel, number, word, and short sentence. Secondly, we establish ANN models with single-type speech samples versus combinations of multi-type speech samples, respectively. Comparative experiments demonstrate that the single-type vowel model is superior to other single-type models as well as multi-type models. Finally, we build a vowel-based ANN model for PD prediction and evaluate its performance. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed model has a prediction accuracy of 91%, sensitivity of 99%, specificity of 82%, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 91%, which is superior to the performance of previous methods. Overall, this study demonstrates that the proposed model can provide good classification accuracy for predicting PD and can improve the rate of early diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Migraine oscillates between different states in association with internal homeostatic functions and biological rhythms that become more easily dysregulated in genetically susceptible individuals. Clinical and pre‐clinical data on migraine pathophysiology support a primary role of the central nervous system (CNS) through 'dysexcitability' of certain brain networks, and a critical contribution of the peripheral sensory and autonomic signalling from the intracranial meningeal innervation. This review focuses on the most relevant back and forward translational studies devoted to the assessment of CNS dysfunctions involved in primary headaches and discusses the role they play in rendering the brain susceptible to headache states. Methods and Results: We collected a body of scientific literature from human and animal investigations that provide a compelling perspective on the anatomical and functional underpinnings of the CNS in migraine and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias. We focus on medullary, hypothalamic and corticofugal modulation mechanisms that represent strategic neural substrates for elucidating the links between trigeminovascular maladaptive states, migraine triggering and the temporal phenotype of the disease. Conclusion: It is argued that a better understanding of homeostatic dysfunctional states appears fundamental and may benefit the development of personalized therapeutic approaches for improving clinical outcomes in primary headache disorders. Significance: This review focuses on the most relevant back and forward translational studies showing the crucial role of top‐down brain modulation in triggering and maintaining primary headache states and how these central dysfunctions may interact with personalized pain management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceutical manufacturing on a large scale and the presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment have sparked growing concern. The life cycle assessment (LCA) technique is an efficient tool for analyzing any potential environmental impacts associated with pharmaceuticals at each step of their life cycle. This study presents research trends and future directions of pharma-LCAs through bibliometric indicators. The Scopus database was used to collect the literature dataset. Between 2000 and 2022, a total of 207 documents involving "pharmaceutical" and "LCA" were released. Numerous aspects of these documents, including subject categories, journals, articles, countries, affiliations, funding sponsors, authors, and keywords, have been systematically examined in this research. Collaborations between authors and countries were visualized and analyzed by using social network analysis based on co-authorship relations. Additionally, keywords were clustered using co-occurrence relations to discover the most trending topics in the literature review. The research showed that as an evolutionary process, the utilization of the life cycle assessment method has continued to increase in the pharmaceutical sector within the period. As well, the principal focus of studies has been on pharmaceuticals for human consumption. The analysis of extracted keywords reveals that green chemistry, energy efficiency, and sustainable pharmacy have always been the main topics. However, in recent years, researchers' focus has shifted to environmental impacts, carbon footprint, wastewater treatment, human toxicity, active pharmaceutical ingredients and blisters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify and characterize the 100 most cited articles on Parkinson's disease (PD) and phenolic compounds (PCs). Methods: Articles were selected in the Web of Science Core Collection up to June 2022 based on predetermined inclusion criteria, and the following bibliometric parameters were extracted: the number of citations, title, keywords, authors, year, study design, tested PC and therapeutic target. MapChart was used to create worldwide networks, and VOSviewer software was used to create bibliometric networks. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to identify the most researched PCs and therapeutic targets in PD. Results: The most cited article was also the oldest. The most recent article was published in 2020. Asia and China were the continent and the country with the most articles in the list (55 and 29%, respectively). In vitro studies were the most common experimental designs among the 100 most cited articles (46%). The most evaluated PC was epigallocatechin. Oxidative stress was the most studied therapeutic target. Conclusion: Despite the demonstrations in laboratorial studies, the results obtained point to the need for clinical studies to better elucidate this association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an advanced neurodegenerative disease (NDD) caused by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons (DNs) in the substantia nigra (SN). As PD is an age-related disorder, the majority of PD patients are associated with musculoskeletal disorders with prolonged use of analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Therefore, NSAIDs can affect PD neuropathology in different ways. Thus, the objective of the present narrative review was to clarify the potential role of NSAIDs in PD according to the assorted view of preponderance. Inhibition of neuroinflammation and modulation of immune response by NSAIDs could be an effective way in preventing the development of NDD. NSAIDs affect PD neuropathology in different manners could be beneficial or detrimental effects. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) by NSAIDs may prevent the development of PD. NSAIDs afforded a neuroprotective role against the development and progression of PD neuropathology through the modulation of neuroinflammation. Though, NSAIDs may lead to neutral or harmful effects by inhibiting neuroprotective prostacyclin (PGI2) and accentuation of pro-inflammatory leukotrienes (LTs). In conclusion, there is still a potential conflict regarding the effect of NSAIDs on PD neuropathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonizing drugs represents the most important advance in migraine therapy for decades. However, these new drugs are only effective in 50–60% of patients. Recent studies have shown that the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP38) pathway is independent from the CGRP signaling pathway. Here, we investigate PACAP38 signaling pathways in relation to glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), levcromakalim and sumatriptan. Methods: In vivo mouse models of PACAP38-, GTN-, and levcromakalim-induced migraine were applied using tactile sensitivity to von Frey filaments as measuring readout. Signaling pathways involved in the three models were dissected using PACAP-inhibiting antibodies (mAbs) and sumatriptan. Results: We showed that PACAP mAbs block PACAP38 induced hypersensitivity, but not via signaling pathways involved in GTN and levcromakalim. Also, sumatriptan has no effect on PACAP38-induced hypersensitivity relevant to migraine. This is the first study testing the effect of a PACAP-inhibiting drug on GTN- and levcromakalim-induced hypersensitivity. Conclusions: Based on the findings in our mouse model of migraine using migraine-inducing compounds and anti-migraine drugs, we suggest that PACAP acts via a distinct pathway. Using PACAP38 antagonism may be a novel therapeutic target of interest in a subgroup of migraine patients who do not respond to existing therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was conducted by applying a bibliometric analysis to determine the dynamics of research topics from ten percent of research output (international publications) generated by Indonesian scientists from the period of 1945-2021. This study utilizes VOSviewers version 1.6.18 for analysis and visualization of bibliometric networks. The research results indicate that 50.24% of Indonesian international publications are published in the form of articles, with subjects such as: Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Medicine, and Earth and Planetary Sciences as the most dominating subject areas. Regarding the author, Tjia, MO from Bandung Institute of Technology was acknowledged as the top author in terms of the number of publications produced for two periods. The article entitled "Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980-2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013" (Ng et al., 2014) became the most cited one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cluster headache and migraine are regarded as distinct primary headaches. While cluster headache and migraine differ in multiple aspects such as gender-related and headache specific features (e.g., attack duration and frequency), both show clinical similarities in trigger factors (e.g., alcohol) and treatment response (e.g., triptans). Here, we review the similarities and differences in anatomy and pathophysiology that underlie cluster headache and migraine, discuss whether cluster headache and migraine should indeed be considered as two distinct primary headaches, and propose recommendations for future studies. Video recording of the debate held at the 1st International Conference on Advances in Migraine Sciences (ICAMS 2022, Copenhagen, Denmark) is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUimmnDVTTE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Little is known of how cranial autonomic symptoms (CAS) in cluster headache and migraine may contribute to their severe headache phenotype. This strong association suggests the involvement of the cranial parasympathetic efferent pathway. To investigate its contribution, we studied the role of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide-38 (PACAP-38), a potent sensory and parasympathetic neuropeptide, in modulating pre- and post-ganglionic cranial parasympathetic projection neurons, and their influence on headache-related trigeminal-autonomic responses., Experimental Approach: Using PACAP-38 and PACAP-38 responsive receptor antagonists, electrophysiological, behavioural and facial neurovascular-blood flow was measured in rats to probe trigeminal- and parasympathetic-neuronal, periorbital thresholds and cranial-autonomic outcomes, as they relate to primary headaches., Key Results: Sumatriptan attenuated the development of PACAP-38 mediated activation and sensitization of trigeminocervical neurons and related periorbital allodynia. PACAP-38 also caused activation and enhanced responses of dural-responsive pre-ganglionic pontine-superior salivatory parasympathetic neurons. Further, the PACAP-38 responsive receptor antagonists dissected a role of VPAC 1 and PAC 1 receptors in attenuating cranial-autonomic and trigeminal-neuronal responses to activation of the cranial parasympathetic projection, which requires post-ganglionic parasympathetic neurotransmission., Conclusion and Implications: Given the prevailing view that sumatriptan acts to some degree via a peripheral mechanism, our data support that PACAP-38 mediated receptor activation modulates headache-related cranial-autonomic and trigeminovascular responses via peripheral and central components of the cranial parasympathetic projection. This provides a mechanistic rationale for the association of CAS with more severe headache phenotypes in cluster headache and migraine, and supports the cranial parasympathetic projection as a potential novel locus for treatment by selectively targeting PACAP-38 or PACAP-38 responsive VPAC 1 /PAC 1 receptors., (© 2023 British Pharmacological Society.)

Headache disorders can produce recurrent, incapacitating pain. Migraine and cluster headache are notable for their ability to produce significant disability. The anatomy and physiology of headache disorders is fundamental to evolving treatment approaches and research priorities. Key concepts in headache mechanisms include activation and sensitization of trigeminovascular, brainstem, thalamic, and hypothalamic neurons; modulation of cortical brain regions; and activation of descending pain circuits. This review will examine the relevant anatomy of the trigeminal, brainstem, subcortical, and cortical brain regions and concepts related to the pathophysiology of migraine and cluster headache disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the field of medicine, and ophthalmology is no exception. The objective of this study was to report on scientific production and publication trends, to identify journals, countries, international collaborations, and major MeSH terms involved in AI in ophthalmology research. Methods: Scientometric methods were used to evaluate global scientific production and development trends in AI in ophthalmology using PubMed and the Web of Science Core Collection. Results: A total of 1356 articles were retrieved over the period 1966–2019. The yearly growth of AI in ophthalmology publications has been 18.89% over the last ten years, indicating that AI in ophthalmology is a very attractive topic in science. Analysis of the most productive journals showed that most were specialized in computer and medical systems. No journal was found to specialize in AI in ophthalmology. The USA, China, and the UK were the three most productive countries. The study of international collaboration showed that, besides the USA, researchers tended to collaborate with peers from neighboring countries. Among the twenty most frequent MeSH terms retrieved, there were only four related to clinical topics, revealing the retina and glaucoma as the most frequently encountered subjects of interest in AI in ophthalmology. Analysis of the top ten Journal Citation Reports categories of journals and MeSH terms for articles confirmed that AI in ophthalmology research is mainly focused on engineering and computing and is mainly technical research related to computer methods. Conclusions: This study provides a broad view of the current status and trends in AI in ophthalmology research and shows that AI in ophthalmology research is an attractive topic focusing on retinal diseases and glaucoma. This study may be useful for researchers in AI in ophthalmology such as clinicians, but also for scientists to better understand this research topic, know the main actors in this field (including journals and countries), and have a general overview of this research theme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT; serotonin) is traditionally considered as a key mediator implicated in migraine. Multiple 5‐HT receptor subtypes contribute to a variety of region‐specific functional effects. The raphé nuclei control nociceptive inputs by releasing 5‐HT in the brainstem, whereas dural mast cells provide the humoral source of 5‐HT in the meninges. Triptans (5‐HT1B/D agonists) and ditans (5‐HT1F agonists) are the best established 5‐HT anti‐migraine agents. However, activation of meningeal afferents via ionotropic 5‐HT3 receptors results in long‐lasting excitatory drive suggesting a pro‐nociceptive role for these receptors in migraine. Nevertheless, clinical data do not clearly support the applicability of currently available 5‐HT3 antagonists to migraine treatment. The reasons for this might be the presence of 5‐HT3 receptors on inhibitory interneurons dampening the excitatory drive, a lack of 5‐HT3A–E subunit‐selective antagonists and gender/age‐dependent effects. This review is focusing on the controversial role of 5‐HT3 receptors in migraine pathology and related pharmacological perspectives of 5‐HT ligands. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Advances in Migraine and Headache Therapy (BJP 75th Anniversary). To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v179.3/issuetoc [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, the rising economic power of China has led to the expansion of its indigenous science and technology capacity. However, the key characteristics and patterns of the Chinese catch-up process have been mainly explained based on patenting activities that only reflect the progress of technological capabilities accumulation. Therefore, this paper seeks to expand the conventional understanding of China's technological upgrading based on the flying geese model by analyzing scientific knowledge production using hierarchical cluster analysis and examination of the similarities and differences between Chinese and latecomers' scientific patterns. The results show that China has reached the same level of scientific publication capacity as Japan and Korea since 2006, and has recently overtaken Japan to become the biggest scientific powerhouse in the Asia Pacific region. Additionally, during the catch-up period, China's scientific portfolio demonstrates a combination of features that resemble both Korean and Taiwanese attributes. These findings partially contradict the traditional flying geese model and point out additional interpretations of the convergence and divergence of developmental paths among advanced countries and less developed nations. The study contributes to the theory of technological dominance in East Asia and to the understanding of China's dominant role in knowledge production worldwide. Several implications and directions for future research regarding scientific advancement in emerging economies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined sleep research in athletes published between 1966 and 2019, through a bibliometric analysis of research output in the Scopus database. Following a robust assessment of titles, the bibliometric indicators of productivity for studies included in the final analysis were: Distribution of publications and citations (excluding self-citations), top ten active journals, countries, institutions and authors, single- and multi-country collaboration, and 25 top-cited papers. Out of the 1015 papers, 313 were included in the final analysis. The majority of the papers were research articles (n = 259; 82.8%) and published in English (n = 295; 94.3%). From 2011, there was a dramatic increase in papers published (n = 257; 82.1%) and citations (n = 3538; 91.0%). The number of collaborations increased after 2001, with papers published through international (n = 81; 25.9%) and national (n = 192; 61.3%) collaboration. Australia was the most prolific country in terms of number of publications (n = 97; 31.0%), and citations (n = 1529; 15.8%). In conclusion, after the beginning of the twenty-first century, the scientific production on sleep research in athletes has seen significant growth in publication and citation output. Future research should focus on interventions to improve sleep in athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The prevalence of migraine was found to be more than three-fold higher in women as compared with men, and in addition to differences in prevalence rates, the characteristics and associated features might also differ between the sexes. The aim of this study was to compare sex-specific features of migraine and demographic parameters in a nationwide population-based study in Turkey. Methods: Among 5323 subjects, a total of 871 patients who were diagnosed as having definite migraine according to the diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders-III (ICHD-III) were included in our study. The demographic characteristics, associated features, and triggers of migraine were examined with regard to sex. Results: The study group comprised 640 women (73.5%) and 231 men (26.5%), with a female to male ratio of 2.8:1. Attack duration, mean migraine disability assessment scores (MIDAS), frequencies of nausea, vomiting, osmophobia, vertigo/dizziness, and allodynia were found significantly different between women and men. When we compared these parameters between men and postmenopausal women, all these parameters were still significant except nausea. Odor was statistically more frequent as a reported trigger in women, whereas excessive sleep was a statistically more frequent triggering factor in men. The rates of depression and allergy were significantly higher in women when compared with men. Conclusion: Longer attack duration, higher MIDAS scores, and the frequencies of nausea, vomiting, osmophobia, vertigo/dizziness, and allodynia were more significant in women and this variance in sex persisted after menopause. Also, some trigger factors and comorbidities differed between the sexes. These findings might result from complex genetic factors besides sociocultural influences, biologic, and sociocultural roles. Future studies should continue to explore biologic and genetic factors with respect to sex in migraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although migraine is defined by the headache and headache-associated symptoms, the true beginning of a migraine attack lies in the premonitory phase. To understand the generation of attacks, one needs to investigate the phase before headache starts. The premonitory phase of migraine is characterized by a well-described complex of symptoms. Its duration, however, is not clearly defined, and there are no biomarkers to help define when this phase starts.Methods: Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to elucidate the duration of the premonitory phase in spontaneous human migraine attacks. Because migraine attacks are hardly predictable and thereby the premonitory phase is difficult to catch, we scanned 9 patients daily over a minimum period of 30 days using a well-established paradigm for functional MRI of trigeminal nociception.Results: Seven patients were included in the analysis, thus providing cumulative data of 27 spontaneous human migraine attacks including scans before, during, and after migraine pain as well as interictal scans. As a response to painful trigeminal stimulation, activation of the hypothalamus was present within the last 48 hours before headache onset but not earlier.Interpretation: Using hypothalamic activation as a potential marker for the premonitory phase of migraine in this unique dataset, our data corroborated a duration of 48 hours for the premonitory phase of migraine. We suggest applying this time criterion in future studies when focusing on this phase of the migraine cycle. ANN NEUROL 2020;87:646-651. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a bibliometric analysis through the Scopus database to examine papers that combined physical activity and sleep, published between 1979 and 2018. Bibliometric indicators of productivity included publication volume and citation distribution, top 10 authors, average authors per paper, single- and multicountry collaboration, collaborative index, top 10 countries, leading journals, highly cited papers and network visualization for coauthorship, international collaboration, and co-occurrence of author keywords. The initial search identified 1,509 papers, of which 607 passed through comprehensive screening and were included in the final analysis. Most of the papers were research articles (90.8%) and published in English (90.8%). Most papers (81.4%) were published within the past decade, 2009–2018. The mean number of papers published per year was 15.2, the mean number of citations per paper was 257.3, and the mean number of authors per paper was 5.5. International collaboration was evident for 21.6% of the papers, and 95.6% of papers were multiauthored. The most prolific publishing institutions and authors were from the United States, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and Brazil. Keyword analysis suggested that almost all age groups and study designs were covered, but most papers focus on noncommunicable diseases. Although there has been a rise in scientific production on combined physical activity and sleep research in recent years, future work in this area should include researchers from developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug loaded PLA suture has been one most potential surgery material to help wounds healing. The loaded drug amounts and sustained drug release effect were a vital part for PLA suture. In this research drug-loaded microspheres and finishing bath were prepared to ensure more drug particles loaded on PLA suture. Moreover, sustained drug release effect and mechanical properties of PLA suture were also observed. The results suggested that PLA concentration and emulsifier amounts had more effect on the size of PLA drug-loaded microspheres and the optimal technology was: 0.03 g/mL of PLA concentration, 0.3 g of amount of emulsifier and the total amount of drug and emulsifier was 3 g. Moreover, drug release test showed a significant sustained release effect of the drug-loaded PLA suture. Mechanical measurements indicated the flexibility and strength were not impaired by such drug-loaded method. This research is expected to benefit the surgery fields further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Oxycodone is a widely used opioid analgesic, which is involved in cancer pain and non-cancer pain. This study is intended to understand the publication characteristics of oxycodone research field and assess the quality of pertinent articles from 1998 to 2017. Methods. Oxycodone-related publications from 1998 to 2017 were retrieved from the Web of Science (WOS) and PubMed database. These papers were coded across several categories, such as total number, journals, countries, institutions, authors and citations reports. And the analysis of co-occurrence keywords was handled by VOSviewer software. Results. According to search strategies, a total of 2659 articles on oxycodone were published in world from 1998 to 2017 in WOS. Among the top 10 most productive organizations, six of them were American institutes, two of them were pharmaceutical enterprises and the other three were Finnish, Australian and Canadian institutes, which is similar with the distribution by country/region. Drewes AM from Denmark published most articles and PAIN MEDICINE is the most productive journal in oxycodone area. Meanwhile, clinical studies occupy a dominant position during the past 20 years. The 10 most cited papers were listed. Among these articles, 8 of them are reviews and 2 of those are meta-analysis. And the last decade (2008–2017) displayed that the newest keywords focus on "double-blind", "randomized controlled trial" and "neuropathic pain". Conclusions. The findings provided a comprehensive overview of oxycodone research. In view of the adverse effects of oxycodone, high-quality oxycodone studies both in basic studies and clinical trials need to be completed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Comorbid pain and depression occur with high prevalence in clinical observations, and published academic journals about them have been increasing in number over time. However, few studies used the bibliometric method to analyze the general aspects of scientific researches on the comorbidity of pain and depression. The aim of this study is to systematically provide global scientific research in the comorbidity of pain and depression from 1980 to 2018. Methods. The published papers were searched between 1980 and 2018 in Web of Science. Publications related to comorbid pain and depression research were included. The language was restricted to English, and no species limitations were specified. Results. A total of 2,519 papers met the inclusion criteria in our study. The results revealed that the publications had a significant growth over time in the comorbidity of pain and depression research (P<0.001) by linear regression analyses. The United States had the largest number of publications and citations and the highest value of H-index. According to subject categories of Web of Science, research areas of the 2,519 papers mainly focused on clinical neurology (28.78%), neurosciences (22.9%), and psychiatry (22.23%). In accordance with types of pain, headache (19.09%) was the most popular topic in the included papers on comorbid pain and depression research. Conclusions. The findings provide useful information for pain and depression researchers to detect new areas related to collaborators, cooperative institutions, popular topics, and research frontiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the field of medicine, and ophthalmology is no exception. The objective of this study was to report on scientific production and publication trends, to identify journals, countries, international collaborations, and major MeSH terms involved in AI in ophthalmology research., Methods: Scientometric methods were used to evaluate global scientific production and development trends in AI in ophthalmology using PubMed and the Web of Science Core Collection., Results: A total of 1356 articles were retrieved over the period 1966-2019. The yearly growth of AI in ophthalmology publications has been 18.89% over the last ten years, indicating that AI in ophthalmology is a very attractive topic in science. Analysis of the most productive journals showed that most were specialized in computer and medical systems. No journal was found to specialize in AI in ophthalmology. The USA, China, and the UK were the three most productive countries. The study of international collaboration showed that, besides the USA, researchers tended to collaborate with peers from neighboring countries. Among the twenty most frequent MeSH terms retrieved, there were only four related to clinical topics, revealing the retina and glaucoma as the most frequently encountered subjects of interest in AI in ophthalmology. Analysis of the top ten Journal Citation Reports categories of journals and MeSH terms for articles confirmed that AI in ophthalmology research is mainly focused on engineering and computing and is mainly technical research related to computer methods., Conclusions: This study provides a broad view of the current status and trends in AI in ophthalmology research and shows that AI in ophthalmology research is an attractive topic focusing on retinal diseases and glaucoma. This study may be useful for researchers in AI in ophthalmology such as clinicians, but also for scientists to better understand this research topic, know the main actors in this field (including journals and countries), and have a general overview of this research theme., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background and aims: The recent economic crisis started in the USA in 2008 but quickly had worldwide impact. Ireland, Greece, and Portugal were in economic distress in 2009 and received rescue monetary packages from the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the following years. Meanwhile, the economic recovery has begun for those countries, but at different paces. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if the economic crisis influenced pain research outcomes, by performing a bibliometric analysis based on the ISI Web of Science to evaluate the evolution of the scientific production and performance in the field of pain research between 1997 and 2017. Methods: Articles search was conducted using the ISI Web of Science, search keywords "pain or nocicep*", between 1997 and 2017, and one author affiliated in an Irish, Greek or Portuguese institution. The total number of published articles per country, total citations, h-index, document types and authors' institution were tabulated to determine the quantity and quality of the publications in this field. Results: The search retrieved 2,368 publications over the 20 years' period, increasing from 26 in 1997 to 230 in 2017. The number of Irish publications per year increased steadily along the studied period, while the number of Greek publications stabilized from 2008 onward and Portuguese publications started to increase only in 2007 but declined slightly after 2014. In total, Irish authors published 1,143 articles, Greek authors 624 and Portuguese authors 618. There were nine articles with more than 100 citations, and Irish publications had a higher h-index (52) than Greek's (45) or Portuguese's (36) publications. Ireland had the highest number of pain publications per capita, but in 2016 Portugal had the lowest cost per publication, as measured by the GDP per capita per publication (in 1997 Portugal had the highest cost). The three major research fields of the publications were neurosciences/neurology (19%), general internal medicine (16%) and anaesthesiology (13%), and the affiliation institutions were mostly universities or universities hospitals. Conclusions: The number of Irish, Greek, and Portuguese pain publications increased between 1997 and 2017, but at different paces. It appears that the economic crisis had no impact on the rate of pain publications in Ireland, had a delayed impact in Portugal, and affected mostly Greek pain scientific research. This may be related to the fact that Greece was the country that received more rescue packages and where the economic crisis was deepest and lasted longer. Implications: Economics and scientific production have a mutual influence: usually research investment decreases in recession times (reducing grants and scientific employment), but health scientific production can improve health and quality of life and also benefit the economy. So in crisis periods, governments should create means to protect and foster scientific work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migraine is a disabling neurological disorder affecting 12% of the world's population. Stress is a major reported trigger and exacerbator of migraine. We evaluated the effects of two chronic stress paradigms on migraine relevant phenotypes in male C57Bl/6 mice. Methods: Fifty six mice were used in a 14 day social defeat stress (SDS) and twenty three mice were used in a 40 day chronic variable stress (CVS) paradigm. Anxiety measures were evaluated using the open field and elevated plus maze (EPM) tests. Migraine relevant phenotypes were evaluated using the nitroglycerin (NTG) and cortical spreading depression (CSD) models. Results: Stress sensitive SDS mice and chronically stressed CVS mice showed decreased exploration in the open field and reduced time spent in the open arms of the EPM compared to controls. Stress sensitive and resilient SDS mice had increased serum corticosterone levels, and stressed mice in the CVS paradigm had decreased weight gain compared to controls, providing combined behavioral and physiological evidence of a stress response. In the CVS paradigm but not the SDS paradigm, the stressed group showed a significant decrease in baseline mechanical withdrawal threshold compared to controls. All groups showed a significant reduction in withdrawal threshold after treatment with NTG, but the reduction was not larger in SDS or CVS than in controls. Interestingly, stress resilient SDS mice showed a rapid recovery from NTG effects that was not seen in other groups. No difference in CSD frequency or velocity was seen between stress and control mice in either stress paradigms. Conclusion: We observed distinct effects of stress on generalized pain response, migraine relevant pain, and migraine relevant excitability. CVS but not SDS was associated with a reduced mechanical withdrawal threshold, consistent with a generalized pain response to chronic stress. Neither SDS nor CVS exacerbated phenotypes considered specifically relevant to migraine - withdrawal to NTG, and susceptibility to CSD. However, the significantly reduced response of stress resilient mice to the NTG stimulus may represent a specific migraine-resistant phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biological and medical importance of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been recognized for decades. The aim of this bibliometric study is to analyze the quantity and quality of publications in H2S biology and medicine (H2SBM) based on the databases of Web of Science and Google Scholar. A total of 5881 publications published between 1990 and 2016 were analyzed. The number of H2SBM papers published before 2004 was below 100 annually, but thereafter this number rapidly increased and peaked in 2015 with more than 7-fold increase. All publications related to H2SBM research achieved a total h-index of 136 and were cited 123,074 times. The most published disciplines in H2S biomedicine research were the cardiovascular system (8.5%), neuroscience (6.5%), and gastroenterology hepatology (4.7%). The country with the greatest number of publications in the H2SBM research field was the USA with 1765 (30.0%) publications, followed by China with 995 (16.9%) publications and Japan with 555 (9.4%) publications. The top 3 most published institutes were National University of Singapore, Peking University in China, and University of Groningen in Netherlands. Nitric Oxide Biology and Chemistry was the most exploited journal for H2SBM publications with 461 articles, followed by FASEB Journal with 200 publications and Antioxidants Redox Signaling with 116 publications. The most highly cited publications and researchers in H2SBM research were also unmasked from this bibliometric analysis. Collectively, H2SBM publications exhibit a continuous trend of increase, reflecting the increased H2SBM research intensity and diversity globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; serotonin) is traditionally considered as a key mediator implicated in migraine. Multiple 5-HT receptor subtypes contribute to a variety of region-specific functional effects. The raphé nuclei control nociceptive inputs by releasing 5-HT in the brainstem, whereas dural mast cells provide the humoral source of 5-HT in the meninges. Triptans (5-HT 1B/D agonists) and ditans (5-HT 1F agonists) are the best established 5-HT anti-migraine agents. However, activation of meningeal afferents via ionotropic 5-HT 3 receptors results in long-lasting excitatory drive suggesting a pro-nociceptive role for these receptors in migraine. Nevertheless, clinical data do not clearly support the applicability of currently available 5-HT 3 antagonists to migraine treatment. The reasons for this might be the presence of 5-HT 3 receptors on inhibitory interneurons dampening the excitatory drive, a lack of 5-HT 3 A-E subunit-selective antagonists and gender/age-dependent effects. This review is focusing on the controversial role of 5-HT 3 receptors in migraine pathology and related pharmacological perspectives of 5-HT ligands. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Advances in Migraine and Headache Therapy (BJP 75th Anniversary). To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v179.3/issuetoc., (© 2021 The British Pharmacological Society.)

In this study, three chemistry research themes closely associated with the Nobel Prize are bibliometrically analyzed-Ribozyme, Ozone and Fullerene-as well as a research theme in chemistry not associated with the Nobel Prize (a Nobel snub theme): Brunauer-Emmett-Teller equation. We analyze, based on an algorithmically constructed publication-level classification system, the evolution of the four themes with respect to publication volume and international collaboration, using two datasets, one of them a subset of highly cited publications, for each considered time period. The focus of the study is on international collaboration, where co-occurrence of country names in publications is used as a proxy for international collaboration. For all four themes, especially for Brunauer-Emmett-Teller equation, the publication volumes increase considerably from the earliest period to the later periods. The international collaboration rate shows an increasing trend for each theme. For Ozone, Fullerene and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller equation, the international collaboration rate tend to be higher for the highly cited publications compared to full datasets. With regard to the evolution of number of countries per international publication and per highly cited international publication, a vast majority of the distributions are positively skewed, with a large share of publications with two countries. With respect to the last four periods of the study, the concentration to two countries per publication is more pronounced for the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller equation theme compared to the three Nobel Prize themes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The critical role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathological mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Parkinson's disease (PD), is well established. Compelling evidence indicates that Parkinson's proteins (e.g., α-synuclein, Parkin, PINK1, DJ-1, and LRRK2) are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in PD. Significantly, there is a possible central role of alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) in the occurrence of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress by the mediation of different signaling pathways. Also, tau, traditionally considered as the main component of neurofibrillary tangles, aggregates and amplifies the neurotoxic effects on mitochondria by interacting with α-Syn. Moreover, oxidative stress caused by mitochondrial dysfunction favors assembly of both α-Syn and tau and also plays a key role in the formation of protein aggregates. In this review, we provide an overview of the relationship between these two pathological proteins and mitochondrial dysfunction in PD, and also summarize the underlying mechanisms in the interplay of α-Syn aggregation and phosphorylated tau targeting the mitochondria, to find new strategies to prevent PD processing., (© 2020 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Whether singleton approach (citation analysis of identified source journals) used by Gross and Gross (Science 66(1713):385-389, ) or differential approach (citation analysis of articles in specific subject field) applied by Bradford (Engineering 137:85-86, ) suitable to select or rank journals in multifaceted subject-'Oceanography' is presented. This study discusses both the approaches analyzing citations of published literature in oceanography from 30 countries. The ranking correlation of journals showed better positive correlation (lowest ρ = 0.662 for 2005-2009 to highest ρ = 0.817 for 1995-1999) when top ranked journals from the list generated complying Gross and Gross approach (GA) were correlated with same journal titles of the list generated complying Bradford approach than the other way (lowest ρ = 0.588 for 2005-2009 to highest ρ = 0.726 for 1990-1994). Both the approaches matched similar number of journals to country-wise lists and give unbiased choice in preferring a ranking list. The journals distribution graphs showed typical Bradford-Leimkuhler curves in both the approaches for all the datasets. But the groos droop appears comparatively early with shorter straight line in GA. The high clustering of literature to limited number of journals is a disadvantage in multifaceted subject. So the differential approach used by Bradford is being considered suitable for multifaceted subject like, 'Oceanography'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the SCI-expanded database, this study provides a quantitative description of the development of the research involving matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) over a period of 20 years. From 1986 to 2007 the scientific literature related to MMP increased sevenfold (397 papers in 1986-1987 and 2834 in 2006-2007). The number of countries participating in MMP-related research doubled during this period (33 in 1986-1987 to 67 in 2006-2007), and the USA continually remained the leader. Several industrialized nations (Japan, Germany, UK, Canada, and France) also continuously played important roles, with some emerging Asian countries joining the top 10 most productive countries in 2006-2007: China (ranked 5th), South Korea (6th), and Taiwan (10th). The MMP-related literature was distributed among a continuously growing number of journals (188 in 1986-1987, 527 in 1996-1997, and 913 in 2006-2007) and The Journal of Biological Chemistry remained the most prolific throughout the entire period. The development of the research involving MMPs during the past two decades was also characterized by a progressive transfer of interest from basic research to clinical medicine; cell biology and pharmacology were important routes of investigation generally pursued by researchers. Journals dedicated to oncology have progressively risen to the top 8 most prolific journals during the 20 year period analyzed. Menée sur la base de données SCI-expanded, cette étude présente une description quantitative du développement de la recherche sur les métalloprotéases matricielles sur une période de 20 ans. De 1986 à 2007, la littérature scientifique en lien avec les MMP s'est accrue d'un facteur 7 (397 articles en 1986-1987 à 2834 en 2006-2007). Durant la période 1986-2007, le nombre de pays participant à la recherche sur les MMP a doublé (33 en 1986-1987 et 67 en 2006-2007), et les États-Unis ont maintenu leur position de leader. Plusieurs pays industrialisés (Japon, Allemagne, Royaume-Uni, Canada et France) ont aussi joué un rôle important, avec quelques pays émergents d'Asie qui se sont joint aux dix pays les plus productifs en 2006-2007 : la Chine (5ième rang), la Corée du Sud (6ième) et Taiwan (10ième). La littérature reliée aux MMP était distribuée à travers un nombre croissant de revues scientifiques (188 en 1986-1987, 527 en 1996-1997 et 913 en 2006-2007), et The Journal of Biological Chemistry est demeurée la plus prolifique durant toute cette période. Le développement de la recherche sur les MMP au cours des deux dernières décennies a aussi été caractérisé par un transfert progressif de l'intérêt de la recherche fondamentale vers la médecine clinique ; la biologie cellulaire et la pharmacologie ont constitué des voies de recherche importantes généralement poursuivies par les chercheurs. Au cours de la période analysée, des revues spécialisées dans la recherche en oncologie ont progressivement intégré le top-8 des revues les plus prolifiques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying different institutional addresses in the scientific production of a same university has underestimated the scientific production of Iranian universities and consequently lowered their position in the international academic rankings for a long time. The present study evaluated the scientific production of Iranian medical universities according to their institutional addresses registered in the papers indexed by Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE). By conducting a descriptive research we retrieved total SCIE indexed of top Iranian medical universities and their respective hospitals and research centers from the beginning of 1986 to the end of 2007. Then different variations of the institutional addresses of each university in the author affiliation of papers were assessed. Finally the universities were ranked according to observing a uniformed format for more registered addresses in SCIE. The findings showed unexpected diversity in the institutional affiliation of each university in their SCIE indexed papers. Although “Tehran University of Medical Sciences” showed the most variation in registering institutional addresses but ranked first according to observing unification for more addresses in the SCIE indexed papers comparing to the other universities. The problem of applying different institutional affiliations in the scientific production of the universities should be valued enough by the whole scientific community. Observing a uniformed format in registering institutional addresses of Iranian medical universities would affect their scientific credibility and international ranks through representing their real scientific productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An author index for the February 2010 issue of the Journal "Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology" is presented.

Objective. This study traces the evolution of the scientific literature on pain published during the last 30+ years (1976–2007). Methods. Using the Web of Science®, pain-focused journal articles from the Science Citation Index Expanded™ published in 1977, 1987, 1997, and 2007 were retrieved and analyzed. Results. The number of pain-related publications rose from 1,562 articles for 1976–77 to 9,159 PubMed for 2006–2007, with slow growth for the period 1976–1995, and rapid increases from 1995–2007. The analysis of contributing countries showed two major players, the United States and the UK; the doubling of the number of countries involved in pain research from 40 in 1977 to 82 in 2007; and the appearance in 2007 of The Netherlands, Turkey, China, and Brazil among the top-15 most prolific contributors. During the 30-year period, the number of journals publishing pain-related research increased nearly 2.5-fold (363 journals in 1977 vs 972 in 2007), including 14 new, international pain-focused journals since 2000. Additionally, while there were only two pain journals ( Pain and Headache) in 1977, 15 pain-focused journals were indexed in 2007 with the result that 17 of the top-20 pain-focused journals in 2007 did not exist in 1977. Conclusion. The rapid evolution and explosion of pain research in the last 30+ years was reflected in substantial changes in the landscape of the contributing countries and in the scientific journals targeted by pain researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed 2443 papers published in 2006 by European Union authors on pain-related research. Five EU countries (the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and France) each published > 200 papers while three countries (Cyprus, Malta and Estonia) published none; socio-economic indicators were related to each country’s productivity. The 2443 papers were published in 592 journals and Cephalalgia, Pain and European Journal of Pain were the most prolific. Publications were also analyzed for intra- versus inter-EU/non-EU collaborations and subdisciplines profiles in Clinical Medicine and the Life Sciences for the World, USA, EU and the top-four EU countries were compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]