Matteo Luigi Giuseppe Leoni, Marco Mercieri, Roberto Gazzeri, Marco Cascella, Martina Rekatsina, Omar Viswanath, Alberto Pasqualucci, Giustino Varrassi
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: The term "mixed pain" is frequently used in clinical practice to describe the coexistence of nociceptive, neuropathic, and nociplastic pain mechanisms. However, its inconsistent use and lack of a formal definition warrant further investigation. This bibliometric analysis aims to explore publication trends, research networks, and key themes in mixed pain literature.
Methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection. The search was performed in February 2024, with journal rankings obtained from Journal Citation Reports™ 2022 (Clarivate Analytics). Extracted data included publication trends, citation analysis, co-authorship networks, and keyword mapping.
Results: A total of 229 publications were identified, demonstrating an increasing trend in both publication volume and citations. Most studies were published in high-ranking Q1 journals as research (77%) and review articles (19%). The USA (21%), Italy (15%), and Germany (12%) were the leading contributors, yet global collaboration was weak, with limited co-authorship connections except within the USA. The keyword analysis revealed five major research clusters, with "neuropathic pain," "management," and "quality of life" emerging as central themes.
Conclusions: Despite the progressive increase in mixed pain articles in highly ranked journals, this bibliometric analysis highlighted the absence of a well-structured collaborative network among authors and a lack of clear connections between keywords. Given the critical clinical implications of mixed pain, further high-quality studies on this topic and enhanced international collaborations are recommended.
期刊介绍:
This journal aims to review the most important, recently published clinical findings regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and management of pain and headache. By providing clear, insightful, balanced contributions by international experts, the journal intends to serve all those involved in the care and prevention of pain and headache.
We accomplish this aim by appointing international authorities to serve as Section Editors in key subject areas, such as anesthetic techniques in pain management, cluster headache, neuropathic pain, and migraine. Section Editors, in turn, select topics for which leading experts contribute comprehensive review articles that emphasize new developments and recently published papers of major importance, highlighted by annotated reference lists. An international Editorial Board reviews the annual table of contents, suggests articles of special interest to their country/region, and ensures that topics are current and include emerging research. Commentaries from well-known figures in the field are also provided.