This bibliometric study scrutinizes a corpus of 776 academic articles, focusing on the intersection of virology and neuroregeneration, published in the timeframe from 1970 to 2024. The annual growth rate was calculated at 3.37%, with an average citation count of 19.8 per publication. The geographical analysis identified China and the United States as principal nodes of collaboration. The most prolific contributor to this field was Verhaagen J, with a portfolio of 48 articles and a fractionalized citation count of 7.69. A recurring theme in the discourse was the use of animal models, as evidenced by frequent references to rats, mice, axotomy, genetic vectors, and nerve regeneration. Thematic cluster analysis unveiled 10 distinct categories, encapsulating topics such as “nerve regeneration” and “animals.” Since 2020, COVID-19 has emerged as a new area of investigation. The field has evolved from foundational methodologies in the 1990s to comprehensive studies in the 2000s, and more recently, to research aiming for practical applications. However, gaps in our understanding persist, particularly concerning the viral mechanisms that promote neuroregeneration, the employment of advanced gene therapy vectors, the implications of emerging viruses like COVID-19, and the potential for harnessing virally-induced inflammation for neural repair. The corpus comprises 320 sources, predominantly neuroscience journals such as the Journal of Neuroscience and Experimental Neurology. Publication trends show steady growth from 2000 to 2010, a significant surge from 2010 to 2015, and stability over the past decade. This analysis gauges the extent of collaboration, the knowledge structure, and the growth patterns in virus and neuroregeneration research. Despite substantial growth in the discipline, unresolved questions remain regarding endogenous regeneration pathways, efficient gene delivery, the impact of COVID-19, and inflammation control. Empirical investigations hold the potential to significantly enhance the practical application of viral knowledge in neuroregenerative medicine. In conclusion, this bibliometric review synthesizes the current understanding and delineates future research directions in leveraging viruses for brain regeneration following injury or disease.
Amalakanti et al. (Sat,) studied this question.