Bibliometric analysis and visualization of antidepressant-gut microbiota research : From preclinical exploration to clinical translation (2000–2026)
- 1School of Health, Shanghai Normal University Tianhua College, Shanghai, China
- 2Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Abstract
Background:: Research on the interactions between antidepressants and the gut microbiota has expanded rapidly in recent years, with increasing attention to the microbiota-gut-brain axis and its potential relevance to antidepressant treatment. However, the overall development, knowledge structure, thematic evolution, and translational trajectory of this field remain insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to systematically map the research landscape of antidepressant-gut microbiota interactions and to identify major research hotspots, evolving themes, collaborative patterns, and emerging directions toward clinical translation.
Methods:: Publications from 2000 to 2026 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus. Bibliometric analyses were performed using R, VOSviewer, SCImago Graphica, and CiteSpace to evaluate publication trends, geographical and author collaboration, keyword co-occurrence and clustering, thematic evolution, co-citation patterns, and citation bursts. Relevant clinical studies were additionally identified through PubMed to complement the assessment of translational development.
Results:: A total of 1961 publications were included, with research output increasing markedly after 2017. China contributed the largest number of publications, whereas the United States demonstrated relatively extensive international collaboration. Keyword and clustering analyses identified depression, gut microbiota, probiotics, the gut-brain axis, inflammation, and antidepressant-related mechanisms as major research domains. Thematic evolution showed a progression from early research centered on gastrointestinal disorders toward increasingly diverse investigations involving depression, stress, probiotics, and microbial mechanisms, followed by recent convergence around the gut-brain axis, antidepressants, and neuroinflammation. Highly cited and citation-burst references further reflected the growing influence of mechanistic and microbiota-targeted research. Clinical studies have increasingly investigated microbiota-related interventions and mechanistic biomarkers alongside antidepressant treatment, although the available evidence remains heterogeneous.
Conclusion:: Antidepressant-gut microbiota research has undergone substantial expansion and thematic transformation, with increasing emphasis on mechanistic pathways and clinical relevance. The field is progressing from exploratory associations toward mechanism-informed and translational research, although further standardized clinical investigation is needed to establish the therapeutic and predictive relevance of the gut microbiota in antidepressant treatment.
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BibTeX
@article{zeng2026bibliometric,
title = {{Bibliometric analysis and visualization of antidepressant-gut microbiota research : From preclinical exploration to clinical translation (2000–2026)}},
author = {Siliang Zeng and Wen Zheng and Dongfeng Wan and Huili Chen},
journal = {Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1097/md.0000000000051384},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727191},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Bibliometric analysis and visualization of antidepressant-gut microbiota research : From preclinical exploration to clinical translation (2000–2026)
AU - Siliang Zeng
AU - Wen Zheng
AU - Dongfeng Wan
AU - Huili Chen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Medicine
DO - 10.1097/md.0000000000051384
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727191
AB - Background:: Research on the interactions between antidepressants and the gut microbiota has expanded rapidly in recent years, with increasing attention to the microbiota-gut-brain axis and its potential relevance to antidepressant treatment. However, the overall development, knowledge structure, thematic evolution, and translational trajectory of this field remain insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to systematically map the research landscape of antidepressant-gut microbiota interactions and to identify major research hotspots, evolving themes, collaborative patterns, and emerging directions toward clinical translation. Methods:: Publications from 2000 to 2026 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus. Bibliometric analyses were performed using R, VOSviewer, SCImago Graphica, and CiteSpace to evaluate publication trends, geographical and author collaboration, keyword co-occurrence and clustering, thematic evolution, co-citation patterns, and citation bursts. Relevant clinical studies were additionally identified through PubMed to complement the assessment of translational development. Results:: A total of 1961 publications were included, with research output increasing markedly after 2017. China contributed the largest number of publications, whereas the United States demonstrated relatively extensive international collaboration. Keyword and clustering analyses identified depression, gut microbiota, probiotics, the gut-brain axis, inflammation, and antidepressant-related mechanisms as major research domains. Thematic evolution showed a progression from early research centered on gastrointestinal disorders toward increasingly diverse investigations involving depression, stress, probiotics, and microbial mechanisms, followed by recent convergence around the gut-brain axis, antidepressants, and neuroinflammation. Highly cited and citation-burst references further reflected the growing influence of mechanistic and microbiota-targeted research. Clinical studies have increasingly investigated microbiota-related interventions and mechanistic biomarkers alongside antidepressant treatment, although the available evidence remains heterogeneous. Conclusion:: Antidepressant-gut microbiota research has undergone substantial expansion and thematic transformation, with increasing emphasis on mechanistic pathways and clinical relevance. The field is progressing from exploratory associations toward mechanism-informed and translational research, although further standardized clinical investigation is needed to establish the therapeutic and predictive relevance of the gut microbiota in antidepressant treatment.
SN - 0304-5412
SN - 1536-5964
SN - 0025-7974
ER -