Mapping the Global Research Landscape of Moebius Syndrome: An In-Depth Visualization and Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Abstract 1. Background Moebius syndrome (MBS) is a rare congenital condition characterized by a disorder of the cranial nerves, essentially the facial (VII) and abducens (VI). The prevalence of this syndrome is 0.3 per 100,000 live births. Clinically, it presents with alterations at the facial level with the involvement of facial muscles, deficits in ocular motility and correct neurovisual function, musculoskeletal and orofacial deformities. Its diagnosis varies according to the etiology of Moebius syndrome; however, according to the minimum diagnostic criteria, this syndrome presents as a congenital and non-progressive facial weakness, along with the inability to abduct one or both eyes. 2. Methods This study employed Web of Science database to conduct a search using terms such as “Moebius syndrome” and “ Congenital facial paralysis with limited ocular abduction” It included English language articles and reviews from the period spanning 1930 to January 3, encompassing a total of 306 result. The analysis focused on various data points, including authorship, publication journal, publication year, citation count, country of origin, affiliated institutions, and keywords. This information was systematically analyzed using tools like VOSviewer, R bibliometrix. 3. Results A total of 186 journals have published articles on Moebius Syndrome, demonstrating an annual growth rate of 2.6% in this research area. There have been 1,150 authors contributing to the development of knowledge on Moebius Syndrome. Among these, only 29 authors have published solo articles, while the remaining authors have collaborated in papers with at least two or more authors. The average research paper on this topic involves approximately 4.3 co-authors and receives about 16.3 citations. 4. Conclusions The number of publications on Moebius Syndrome has been consistently increasing, indicating a stable upward trend in recent years. This study represents the first bibliometric analysis concerning Moebius Syndrome. We expect that this analysis will act as an important tool for clinical researchers, assisting them in identifying and concentrating on emerging research areas in this domain.