Frontier and hotspot evolution in Brugada syndrome: A bibliometric analysis from 2002 to 2022

Abstract

Background: Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a genetic disorder characterized by a typical electrocardiogram pattern and predisposition to arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Despite our considerably evolved understanding of BrS, no bibliometrics have been performed in this research field. We aimed to analyze and visualize the characteristics of the scientific outputs, topical evolutions, and research trends of BrS over the past 2 decades using bibliometric analysis. Methods: The literature associated with BrS was retrieved from the Science Citation Index Expanded of the Web of Science Core Collection database. Acquired data were then visually analyzed using CiteSpace and VOSviewer. Results: 3042 qualifying records were included in the final analysis. The publication outputs increased over time. The United States was the leading country in the BrS research. The University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) was the most prolific and influential institution. Pedro Brugada, Arthur Wilde, and Charles Antzelevitch exerted notable publication impact and made the most significant contributions in the field of BrS. Heart Rhythm had the highest outputs and Circulation was the most influential journal. Bundle branch block, ST-segment elevation, mechanism, management, right precordial lead, and guideline were the keywords with the strongest citation burst. Conclusion: Research on BrS is prosperous. Keywords and co-citation analysis revealed that the mechanism, diagnosis, risk stratification, and management of BrS were the research hotspots. Besides, the underlying pathophysiology, novel therapies, and personalized risk assessment might be the emerging trends of future research.