Research trends and knowledge structure of ferroptosis in hearing loss : A bibliometric analysis (2012–2026)
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- 2Department of Clinic Medicine, Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- 3Department of Geriatric Medicine, The Third Affiliated People’s Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- 4ENT Department, The Third Affiliated People’s Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
Abstract
Background:: Hearing loss affects over 1.5 billion people worldwide and is a major public health issue. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent cell death pathway, has been increasingly implicated in cochlear injury. However, the research landscape and evolving trends in this field have not been systematically characterized.
Methods:: Publications published between 2012 and 2026 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. Bibliometric and visualized analyses were performed using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and the Bibliometrix R package.
Results:: A total of 75 publications (published up to March 30, 2026) were included in the final analysis. The current literature exhibits a substantial geographical concentration, with China contributing 85.3% of the total output, while international collaboration remains limited. This indicates a lack of geographically balanced global evidence in the current field. Current research mainly focuses on cisplatin-induced ototoxicity and noise-induced hearing loss; age-related hearing loss, hereditary hearing loss, and sudden sensorineural hearing loss have received comparatively less attention. Keyword burst analysis shows that research interests have gradually shifted from general oxidative stress mechanisms to specific molecular targets, including glutathione peroxidase 4, with growing attention to clinical and translational applications. Existing studies suggest that ferroptosis may contribute to inner ear injury through 3 interconnected processes: impaired antioxidant defense systems, dysregulated iron metabolism, and enhanced lipid peroxidation. These processes also interact with other regulated cell death pathways such as apoptosis, autophagy, and inflammation.
Conclusion:: This bibliometric analysis provides an overview of the current research on ferroptosis in hearing loss. However, the findings reveal a heavily geographically concentrated research output, emphasizing the need for broader international collaboration to establish more universally applicable evidence. The findings identify emerging research directions and may offer useful references for future studies on ferroptosis-related mechanisms and therapeutic strategies in otological disorders.
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BibTeX
@article{qiu2026research,
title = {{Research trends and knowledge structure of ferroptosis in hearing loss : A bibliometric analysis (2012–2026)}},
author = {Feng Qiu and Ziyuan Chen and Huan Xie and Wusong Huang and Bin Ai},
journal = {Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1097/md.0000000000051252},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727277},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Research trends and knowledge structure of ferroptosis in hearing loss : A bibliometric analysis (2012–2026)
AU - Feng Qiu
AU - Ziyuan Chen
AU - Huan Xie
AU - Wusong Huang
AU - Bin Ai
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Medicine
DO - 10.1097/md.0000000000051252
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727277
AB - Background:: Hearing loss affects over 1.5 billion people worldwide and is a major public health issue. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent cell death pathway, has been increasingly implicated in cochlear injury. However, the research landscape and evolving trends in this field have not been systematically characterized. Methods:: Publications published between 2012 and 2026 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. Bibliometric and visualized analyses were performed using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and the Bibliometrix R package. Results:: A total of 75 publications (published up to March 30, 2026) were included in the final analysis. The current literature exhibits a substantial geographical concentration, with China contributing 85.3% of the total output, while international collaboration remains limited. This indicates a lack of geographically balanced global evidence in the current field. Current research mainly focuses on cisplatin-induced ototoxicity and noise-induced hearing loss; age-related hearing loss, hereditary hearing loss, and sudden sensorineural hearing loss have received comparatively less attention. Keyword burst analysis shows that research interests have gradually shifted from general oxidative stress mechanisms to specific molecular targets, including glutathione peroxidase 4, with growing attention to clinical and translational applications. Existing studies suggest that ferroptosis may contribute to inner ear injury through 3 interconnected processes: impaired antioxidant defense systems, dysregulated iron metabolism, and enhanced lipid peroxidation. These processes also interact with other regulated cell death pathways such as apoptosis, autophagy, and inflammation. Conclusion:: This bibliometric analysis provides an overview of the current research on ferroptosis in hearing loss. However, the findings reveal a heavily geographically concentrated research output, emphasizing the need for broader international collaboration to establish more universally applicable evidence. The findings identify emerging research directions and may offer useful references for future studies on ferroptosis-related mechanisms and therapeutic strategies in otological disorders.
SN - 0304-5412
SN - 1536-5964
SN - 0025-7974
ER -