The rise of global research trends on cathinones during 1994-2018: lessons from a systematic bibliometric analysis

Background: Cathinones have emerged as a worldwide health concern due to their increasing use. Objectives: The aim of this study was to perform a bibliometric review of global research trends in psychoactive cathinones as illegal addictive substances. Methods: We developed a search strategy and established several databases based on Web of Science (WoS) screening. After screening, 944 scientific papers from 1994 to 2018 (including 99 in the substance-abuse category) were used for scientometric analysis regarding various indicators, including outputs trends, institution/country/territory contributions, and high-frequency terms. Results: Analyses indicated that annual publications increased dramatically after 2011, then showed fluctuating increases. Institutions in developed countries, especially the United States and European countries, demonstrated high contribution to outstanding papers and top-cited publications. High-frequency terms, which are indicative of widely covered research topics, included pharmacological effects, chemical analysis, clinical neurology, as well as toxicity, psychology, and behavior. Conclusions: This bibliometric analysis revealed the emerging trends in research interest on cathinones, especially designer drug synthesis. Therefore, regulations should be updated to set clear boundaries related to potential medical and illegal use. With joint academic and societal effort, research strategies and prevention policies related to these illegal stimulants could be improved.