Research on Functional Constipation with Anxiety or Depression: A Bibliometric Analysis

Xiaoqin Li¹Qiang Lei²Jiao Xie³Fang Li³Jing Liu³Yuelai Chen^4*qiangjian mao^3*

• ¹School of Clinical Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
• ²Acupuncture and Moxibustion Massage College, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, nanchang, China
• ³Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, China
• ⁴Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China

Methods: Data from studies on FC with anxiety or depression, that were performed between 2003 and 2024, were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Data regarding the annual number of publications, authors, countries, and references were assessed using CiteSpace v6.3.R1 (64-bit) and Microsoft Excel, and those pertaining to keywords and cited authors were evaluated using VOSviewer 1.6.20. The co-occurrence and clustering functions were then used to generate visual knowledge maps. Results: The overall annual publication volume demonstrated an upward trend between 2003 and 2024; this was indicative of promising research prospects. The 427 publications identified included 6 types of papers, among which original research articles represented the highest proportion (357 [83.61%] articles published across 200 journals). Neurogastroenterology and Mobility had the highest publication volume (30 articles, 7.02%). The United States of America had published most of the papers (135 articles, 31.61%) on the topic. Harvard University was the research institution with the most published papers (21 articles, 4.92%), and Michel Bouchoucha had authored the highest number of articles (13 articles, 3.04%). Conclusion: Future studies in the field of basic medicine need todetermine the etiology and pathogenesis of FC with anxiety or depression; in particular, they need to evaluate the role of opioid drugs as a key etiological factor. The role played by the brain-gut axis also warrants investigation. From the clinical perspective, studies need to focus on evidence-based medicine; particular emphasis needs to be placed on randomized double-blind controlled trials with stringent quality control, high-quality meta-analyses, and evaluation of questionnaires and scales.Treatment techniques need to be explored in greater detail; in this context, it is recommended that fecal microbiota transplantation and biofeedback therapy are adopted in the clinic. Furthermore, Patients with FC, especially those with a history of anxiety or depression, tend to have overlapping dyspepsia symptoms.