Growth of Headache Research: A 1983-2014 bibliometric study.

Aim This study charts the growth of the scientific journal literature on headache for 30+ years (1983-2014). Methods Using the Web of Science, articles published in four two-year periods (1983-1984, 1993-1994, 2003-2004, 2013-2014) from journals indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded database were retrieved and analyzed. Results From 1983-1984 to 2013-2014, the scientific literature on headache increased nearly fourfold (3.8) from 468 to 1776 articles; the number of participating countries more than doubled (26 to 67); and the two most prolific countries in each period were the USA and Italy. While several European countries (Italy, Germany, UK and Denmark) were among the top 10 in each period, the notable appearance of Turkey, China and Brazil among the top 10 in 2013-2014 indicates the growing geographic spread of publications on headache research. Meanwhile, the comet-like distribution of journals has not changed: two journals, Headache and Cephalalgia, persist throughout as the nucleus, with the tail increasing more than threefold from 141 journals in 1983-1984 to 462 in 2013-2014. Conclusion Our study follows the recent growth and spread of the scientific literature on headache research and should stimulate further bibliometric investigation in this field.

Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Objective Efficacy and Impact of a Chairside Fabricated Mandibular Advancement Device.

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been described as a common sleep respiratory disorder. Its prevalence in the adult population has been reported to be high, varying from 3% to 28%. Dental practitioners play a key role in the treatment of this disease, using tailor-made mandibular advancement devices (MADs). This pilot study assessed the efficacy and compliance of a custom-fitted thermoplastic MAD for the treatment of moderate to severe OSA syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this open study without a control group, OSA syndrome sufferers were enrolled by four centers. One specific MAD was custom fitted to the patients. Polysomnography, Epworth, and snoring scales were administered from inclusion to 45 days postinclusion. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 33 men and 8 women; 35 patients completed the study. Patient response was high with 69% of them considered as responders, and 60% showing a complete response. Also, 77.3% of patients with moderate OSA syndrome presented a complete response. An improvement was observed in the apnea hypopnea index, which decreased from 34.1 ± 18.9 to 12.8 ± 14.1. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale score, snoring, and quality of sleep scores decreased with the device (p < 0.0001). Compliance rates were high, with patients wearing the device 6.5 nights a week. Side effects and patient complaints were minor and transient. CONCLUSION: This custom-fitted MAD improved respiratory and somnolence parameters, with response rates similar to those published in the literature with other devices.

Paraventricular hypothalamic regulation of trigeminovascular mechanisms involved in headaches.

While functional imaging and deep brain stimulation studies point to a pivotal role of the hypothalamus in the pathophysiology of migraine and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, the circuitry and the mechanisms underlying the modulation of medullary trigeminovascular (Sp5C) neurons have not been fully identified. We investigated the existence of a direct anatomo-functional relationship between hypothalamic excitability disturbances and modifications of the activities of Sp5C neurons in the rat. Anterograde and retrograde neuronal anatomical tracing, intrahypothalamic microinjections, extracellular single-unit recordings of Sp5C neurons, and behavioral trials were used in this study. We found that neurons of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) send descending projections to the superior salivatory nucleus, a region that gives rise to parasympathetic outflow to cephalic and ocular/nasal structures. PVN cells project also to laminae I and outer II of the Sp5C. Microinjections of the GABAA agonist muscimol into PVN inhibit both basal and meningeal-evoked activities of Sp5C neurons. Such inhibitions were reduced in acutely restrained stressed rats. GABAA antagonist gabazine infusions into the PVN facilitate meningeal-evoked responses of Sp5C neurons. PVN injections of the neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide (PACAP38) enhance Sp5C basal activities, whereas the antagonist PACAP6-38 depresses all types of Sp5C activities. 5-HT1B/D receptor agonist naratriptan infusion confined to the PVN depresses both basal and meningeal-evoked Sp5C activities. Our findings suggest that paraventricular hypothalamic neurons directly control both spontaneous and evoked activities of Sp5C neurons and could act either as modulators or triggers of migraine and/or trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias by integrating nociceptive, autonomic, and stress processing mechanisms.

Assessment and management of chronic orofacial pain associated with a disease in children: a multidisciplinary approach.

UNLABELLED: To summarize the diversity of assessment and management for chronic orofacial pain associated with a disease (COFPAD) in children. We performed a review of the literature up to May 2012. Hetero-evaluation and self-assessment are used according to age of children. Strict management of the cause is not sufficient for children with COFPAD without a multidisciplinary approach combining pharmacotherapy, psychology and physiotherapy. CONCLUSION: The multidisciplinary approach is the key of management for children with COFPAD.

Trends in matrix metalloproteinase research from 1986-2007: a bibliometric study.

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.

Evolution of the scientific literature on pain from 1976 to 2007.

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.

Evolution of the Research Literature and the Scientific Community of Alzheimer's Disease from 1983-2017: A 35-Year Survey.

This study surveys the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the research literature, the scientific community, and the journals containing AD papers over a 35-year period. Research papers on AD published from 1983 to 2017 in journals indexed in the Web of Science were analyzed in seven five-year periods. The number of AD papers increased from 1,095 in 1983-1987 to 50,532 by 2013-2017 and in the same time period, the number of participating countries went from 27 to 152. The US was the most prolific country throughout, followed by several European countries, Canada, Australia, and Japan. Asian countries have emerged and by 2013-2017, China surpassed all but the US in productivity. Countries in Latin America and Africa have also contributed to AD research. Additionally, several new non-governmental institutions (e.g., ADNI, ADI) have emerged and now play a key role in the fight against AD. Likewise the AD scientific publishing universe evolved in various aspects: an increase in number of journals containing AD papers (227 journals in 1983-1987 to 3,257 in 2013-2017); appearance of several AD-focused journals, e.g., Alzheimer's & Dementia, Journal of Alzheimer's Disease; and the development of special issues dedicated to AD. Our paper complements the numerous extant papers on theoretical and clinical aspects of AD and provides a description of the research landscape of the countries and journals contributing papers related to AD.

World orofacial pain research production: a bibliometric study (2004-2005).

AIMS: To provide a snapshot of the scientific literature on orofacial pain. METHODS: The authors identified 975 papers related to orofacial pain in the Current Contents Life Sciences and Clinical Medicine collections of the Thomson Scientific database that were published during 2004 and 2005 and analyzed them using bibliometric indicators. RESULTS: Among the 54 countries involved, the United States ranks first by number of papers (293), followed by Japan (107), and the United Kingdom (90). The high volume of research activity in some Northern European countries is highlighted, along with that of the European Union (384 papers). The scientific literature on orofacial pain was published in 247 journals; 13 of the top 15 most prolific journals for articles on orofacial pain were found in the Dentistry, Oral Surgery and Medicine subdiscipline of Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, and the Journal of Orofacial Pain was the highest ranked for such articles. CONCLUSION: This study complements subject reviews of orofacial pain research and provides a more complete picture of the research activity in this field.

Evolution of the scientific literature of cytochrome P450 from 1977 to 2008.

This study traces the evolution of the scientific literature on cytochrome P450 (P450) published during the last 30+ years (1977-2008). Using the Web of Science, P450 articles from the Science Citation Index Expanded published from 1977 to 2008 were retrieved and analyzed. The number of P450 papers has increased from 342 articles in 1977-1978 to 2,357 in 2007-2008, and the number of contributing countries has grown from 23 countries for 1977-1978 to 76 for 2007-2008. While the USA and Japan were the most productive countries, along with several industrialized countries (e.g. UK, Germany and Canada), two Asian countries have recently joined the group of leading countries (in 2007-2008 China ranked 4th and South Korea, 7th). During 1977-2008, the number of journals publishing papers in P450 research increased more than seven-fold (7.7): 94 journals in 1977-1978 and 724 in 2007-2008; however, citation by readers (as measured by the journal impact factor) of the top-ten leading journals increased only slightly from 3.25 for 1977-1978 to 3.81 for 2007-2008. While Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Pharmacology and Pharmacy are the two main targeted subject areas for P450 research during the period considered, there has been a gradual shift from the biophysical and biochemical fields of interest to aspects of genomics and clinical approaches. The rapid evolution of P450 research in the last 30+ years was accompanied by important changes in the landscape of the contributing countries, in the subject domains, and consequently in the scientific journals targeted by researchers.

Quantitative analysis of the scientific literature on acetaminophen in medicine and biology: a 2003-2005 study.

This study quantifies the utilization of acetaminophen in life sciences and clinical medicine using bibliometric indicators. A total of 1626 documents involving acetaminophen published by 74 countries during 2003-2005 in the Thompson-Scientific Life sciences and Clinical Medicine collections were identified and analyzed. The USA leads in the number of publications followed by the UK, and industrialized countries, including France, Japan and Germany; the presence of countries such as China, India and Turkey among the top 15 countries deserves to be noticed. The European Union stands as a comparable contributor to the USA, both in terms of number of publications and in terms of profile of papers distributed among subcategories of Life Sciences and Clinical Medicine disciplines. All documents were published in 539 different journals. The most prolific journals were related to pharmacology and/or pharmaceutics. All aspects of acetaminophen (chemistry, pharmacokinetics, metabolism, etc.) were studied with primary interest for therapeutic use (42%) and adverse effects (28%) comprising a large part of publications focusing on acetaminophen hepatotoxicity. This quantitative overview provides as to the interest of the scientific community in this analgesic and completes the various review documents that regularly appear in the scientific literature.

Monitoring anesthesia using neural networks: a survey.

New methods of data processing combined with advances in computer technology have revolutionized monitoring of patients under anesthesia. The development of systems based on analysis of brain electrical activity (EEG or evoked potentials) by neural networks has provided impetus to many investigators. Though not claiming to be the end-all in patient monitoring, the potential and efficiency of the combination does indeed stand out. Various strategies are presented and discussed, as well as suggestions for further investigation.