Ketamine for chronic pain management: Global publication trends and collaboration networks from a 25-year Scopus bibliometric perspective

Abstract

Objective: To uncover knowledge gaps in terms of ketamine’s role in chronic pain management, identify emerging therapeutic directions, and provide a strategic foundation for future research and policy.

Method: The bibliometric study was conducted at Department of Anaesthesiology, Aga Khan University from March 2025 to June 2025 and comprised literature search on Scopus database for English-language original articles published between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2024. Bibliometric indicators, such as publication trends, citation counts, key word co-occurrence, author collaborations and country-level contributions, were analysed using VOSviewer and Microsoft Excel.

Results: Of the retrieved 2,857 documents initially identified, 244(8.5%) were analysed. Annual publication output showed an overall upward trend, reaching its highest level in 2018 with 20 publications, followed by 19 publications in 2023. The United States was the leading country in the co-authorship analysis, appearing in 102 (42%) publications and accumulating 3,211 citations, with an average normalised citation score of 0.94. Key word analysis revealed three major clusters: clinical-psychiatric applications, perioperative-mechanistic studies, and neuropathic-pharmacological frameworks. Emerging keywords included esketamine (n=5; average publication year 2021.6) and complex regional pain syndrome (n=6; average publication year 2020.8), reflecting recent thematic shifts. Co-authorship analysis showed that 174 (71.3%) papers involved four or more authors, indicating a strong pattern of collaborative research.

Conclusion: Despite growing output and collaboration, critical gaps persist, particularly in standardised dosing protocols, the scarcity of large randomised trials, and limited representation from low- and middle-income countries.

Key Words: Ketamine, Chronic pain, Bibliometric analysis, Scopus, Neuropathic pain, Research trends, Global collaboration.