Xu Qian, Xiang Qingwei, Tan Zihu, Yang Qiong
School of Clinical Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China.
Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2025 Feb 25;15:1507667. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1507667. eCollection 2025.
In recent years, the relationship between gut microbiota and human health has garnered significant attention. Notably, the potential connection between gut microbiota and mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, has emerged as a new focal point for research. While some studies suggest a possible link between these factors, the field remains in its early stages of development, and there are notable methodological and sample size limitations.
This study aims to systematically summarize the knowledge systems, research hotspots, and development trends related to intestinal microflora within the context of depression research.
This study conducted a search for publications related to intestinal microflora and depression in the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) prior to August 6, 2024. The selected literature was subsequently analyzed using VOSviewer (v.1.6.20), SCImago Graphica (v.1.0.39), and CiteSpace (v.6.3.1).
The study encompassed a total of 1,046 publications, demonstrating a consistent increase in annual publication volume. The primary research countries identified are China and the United States, with notable contributions from institutions such as the University of California and University College Cork, among others. Keywords analysis highlighted high-frequency terms including "gut microbiota," "depression," and "anxiety," and revealed 10 keyword clusters along with 20 strongest citation bursts keywords. The focus of research has shifted from compositional analysis of gut microbiota to its role in the pathogenesis of depression.
Research on gut microbiota and depression is growing, but there is still a need for greater collaboration between authors and institutions across regions, more ongoing interaction and communication to further explore the mechanisms of action of gut microbiota, to develop microbiota-based interventions, and to facilitate translation of research findings into clinical practice.
近年来，肠道微生物群与人类健康之间的关系备受关注。值得注意的是，肠道微生物群与抑郁症和焦虑症等心理健康问题之间的潜在联系已成为新的研究焦点。虽然一些研究表明这些因素之间可能存在联系，但该领域仍处于发展初期，在方法和样本量方面存在显著局限性。
本研究旨在系统总结抑郁症研究背景下肠道微生物群的知识体系、研究热点和发展趋势。
本研究在2024年8月6日之前对科学网核心合集（WOSCC）中与肠道微生物群和抑郁症相关的出版物进行了检索。随后使用VOSviewer（v.1.6.20）、SCImago Graphica（v.1.0.39）和CiteSpace（v.6.3.1）对所选文献进行分析。
该研究共纳入1046篇出版物，表明年出版物数量持续增加。确定的主要研究国家是中国和美国，加利福尼亚大学和科克大学学院等机构做出了显著贡献。关键词分析突出了高频术语，包括“肠道微生物群”、“抑郁症”和“焦虑症”，并揭示了10个关键词聚类以及20个最强引文爆发关键词。研究重点已从肠道微生物群的组成分析转向其在抑郁症发病机制中的作用。
关于肠道微生物群与抑郁症的研究正在增加，但仍需要不同地区的作者和机构之间加强合作，进行更多持续的互动和交流，以进一步探索肠道微生物群的作用机制，开发基于微生物群的干预措施，并促进研究结果转化为临床实践。
