Robert, C; Wilson, CS; Donnadieu, S; Gaudy, JF; Arreto, CD. 2010. Evolution of the Scientific Literature on Pain from 1976 to 2007. PAIN MEDICINE 11 (5): 670-684

[Eugene Garfield]

Robert, C; Wilson, CS; Donnadieu, S; Gaudy, JF; Arreto, CD. 2010. Evolution of 
the Scientific Literature on Pain from 1976 to 2007. PAIN MEDICINE 11 (5): 
670-684.

Author Full Name(s): Robert, Claude; Wilson, Concepcion S.; Donnadieu, 
Stephane; Gaudy, Jean-Francois; Arreto, Charles-Daniel

Language: English
Document Type: Review

Abstract: 
Objective.
This study traces the evolution of the scientific literature on pain published 
during the last 30+ years (1976-2007).
Methods.
Using the Web of Science (R), pain-focused journal articles from the Science 
Citation Index Expanded (TM) published in 1977, 1987, 1997, and 2007 were 
retrieved and analyzed.
Results.
The number of pain-related publications rose from 1,562 articles for 1976-77 to 
9,159 PubMed for 2006-2007, with slow growth for the period 1976-1995, and 
rapid increases from 1995-2007. The analysis of contributing countries showed 
two major players, the United States and the UK; the doubling of the number of 
countries involved in pain research from 40 in 1977 to 82 in 2007; and the 
appearance in 2007 of The Netherlands, Turkey, China, and Brazil among the 
top-15 most prolific contributors. During the 30-year period, the number of 
journals publishing pain-related research increased nearly 2.5-fold (363 journals 
in 1977 vs 972 in 2007), including 14 new, international pain-focused journals 
since 2000. Additionally, while there were only two pain journals (Pain and 
Headache) in 1977, 15 pain-focused journals were indexed in 2007 with the 
result that 17 of the top-20 pain-focused journals in 2007 did not exist in 1977.
Conclusion.
The rapid evolution and explosion of pain research in the last 30+ years was 
reflected in substantial changes in the landscape of the contributing countries 
and in the scientific journals targeted by pain researchers.

Addresses: [Robert, Claude; Gaudy, Jean-Francois; Arreto, Charles-Daniel] Univ 
Paris 05, Fac Chirurg Dent, Lab Anat Fonct, F-92120 Montrouge, France; 
[Wilson, Concepcion S.] Univ New S Wales, Sch Informat Syst Technol & 
Management, Sydney, NSW, Australia; [Donnadieu, Stephane] Hop Europeen 
Georges Pompidou, Unite Traitement Douleur, Paris, France

Reprint Address: Robert, C, Univ Paris 05, Fac Chirurg Dent, Lab Anat Fonct, 1 
Rue Maurice Arnoux, F-92120 Montrouge, France.

E-mail Address: claude.robert at parisdescartes.fr

ISSN: 1526-2375