Global research output of the cerebellum: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow

Abstract

Introduction: The cerebellum has been regarded as a valuable research topic over the years because of its numerous roles in motor and nonmotor functions. The aim of the current study was to provide a comprehensive and holistic evaluation of publications concerning the cerebellum over the last 40 years which can be a potential guide for future research related to the cerebellum. Material and Methods: The Web of Science database was used to identify the publications relating to the cerebellum between 1980 and 2019. The identified publications were analyzed using the bibliometric approaches. The number of the publications concerning the cerebellum to be published between 2020 and 2028 was predicted using the linear regression analysis. Results: The literature review revealed a total of 33,186 publications. The top three active countries were found to be the USA (7362), Japan (2987), and the UK (1994). A positive and significant correlation was found between the number of cerebellum articles produced by the countries and the development indexes of the countries (r = 0.743, P < 0.001; r = 0.676, P < 0.001, r = 0.656, P < 0.001). The top three productive journals were found to be the Journal of Neuroscience, Brain Research, and Cerebellum. The total number of cerebellum publications is expected to continue in an increasing trend and reach a total of 891 publications at the end of 2028. Discussion and Conclusion: Recent studies on the cerebellum have mostly focused on the cerebellar degeneration, functional connections of the cerebellum, and its relationship with various diseases such as ataxia, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, autism, and aneurysms.