Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42099599›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in immunology2026

Global trends and research hotspots in autoimmune encephalitis: insights from a bibliometric and visualized analysis: 1971-2025.

Yunsheng Liu, Rongde Zhong, Xianlin Wu, Yuyan Wang, Jinfang Zhang, Zengwei Kou

Abstract readHistorical ArticleSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in immunology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Yunsheng Liu *Cancer Center, Shenzhen Hospital (Futian) of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China.
Rongde Zhong *Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital/the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China.
Xianlin WuCancer Center, Shenzhen Hospital (Futian) of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China.
Yuyan WangCancer Center, Shenzhen Hospital (Futian) of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China.
Jinfang ZhangCancer Center, Shenzhen Hospital (Futian) of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China.
Zengwei KouCollege of Basic Medicine and Forensic Medicine, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) encompasses a highly heterogeneous spectrum of severe immune-mediated neurological disorders. Over the past 50 years, research has expanded rapidly, yet a quantitative synthesis of its evolution, key contributors, and thematic trends is lacking. Here, we provide a comprehensive 50-year, multi-database bibliometric study that systematically maps the full trajectory of AE research-from early descriptions to the current era of mechanism-driven therapeutics-using advanced analytical tools. Methods: We systematically retrieved AE-related publications from 1971 to May 24, 2025 from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. After deduplication, records were analyzed using bibliometric tools (CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Bibliometrix). Analyses included publication trends, national/institutional contributions, author networks, journal distributions, co-citation patterns, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic evolution. Results: Annual publications surged after 2007, coinciding with the discovery of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis (anti-NMDAR AE), reaching a peak in 2022. The USA and China were the leading contributors by volume, while Spain had the highest average citation impact. The University of Pennsylvania and the University of Oxford emerged as the most productive institutions. Dr. Josep Dalmau is the most prolific author in the field, leading a major collaborative cluster. Frontiers in Neurology published the most papers, while Neurology had the highest H-index. Keyword and thematic analyses confirmed anti-NMDAR AE as the dominant research focus, with intense scholarly interest in its pathogenesis, diagnosis, and immunotherapy. Recent trends highlight emerging topics like COVID-19-associated AE, anti-IGLON5 disease. Conclusions: This study outlines the development, collaboration patterns, and research hotspots in AE. Research continues to center on anti-NMDAR encephalitis, with a growing focus on clinical and therapeutic applications. Future directions include mechanistic studies, biomarker discovery, and advanced immunotherapies.

Indexed as

BibliometricsBiomedical ResearchEncephalitisHashimoto DiseaseHistory, 20th CenturyHistory, 21st CenturyHumansartificial intelligenceautoimmune encephalitisbibliometric analysisimmunotherapyNMDA receptorvisual analysis

Identifiers

PMID42099599
PMCPMC13144159

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.