{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T17:12:07Z","timestamp":1788455527339,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,22]],"date-time":"2026-04-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776816000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Immunol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) encompasses a highly heterogeneous spectrum of severe immune-mediated neurological disorders. Over the past 50 years, research has expanded rapidly, yet a quantitative synthesis of its evolution, key contributors, and thematic trends is lacking. Here, we provide a comprehensive 50\u2212year, multi\u2212database bibliometric study that systematically maps the full trajectory of AE research-from early descriptions to the current era of mechanism\u2212driven therapeutics-using advanced analytical tools.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We systematically retrieved AE-related publications from 1971 to May 24, 2025 from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. After deduplication, records were analyzed using bibliometric tools (CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Bibliometrix). Analyses included publication trends, national\/institutional contributions, author networks, journal distributions, co-citation patterns, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic evolution.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Annual publications surged after 2007, coinciding with the discovery of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis (anti-NMDAR AE), reaching a peak in 2022. The USA and China were the leading contributors by volume, while Spain had the highest average citation impact. The University of Pennsylvania and the University of Oxford emerged as the most productive institutions. Dr. Josep Dalmau is the most prolific author in the field, leading a major collaborative cluster. Frontiers in Neurology published the most papers, while Neurology had the highest H-index. Keyword and thematic analyses confirmed anti-NMDAR AE as the dominant research focus, with intense scholarly interest in its pathogenesis, diagnosis, and immunotherapy. Recent trends highlight emerging topics like COVID-19-associated AE, anti-IGLON5 disease.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study outlines the development, collaboration patterns, and research hotspots in AE. Research continues to center on anti-NMDAR encephalitis, with a growing focus on clinical and therapeutic applications. Future directions include mechanistic studies, biomarker discovery, and advanced immunotherapies.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2026.1798782","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,22]],"date-time":"2026-04-22T05:47:05Z","timestamp":1776836825000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Global trends and research hotspots in autoimmune encephalitis: insights from a bibliometric and visualized analysis: 1971-2025"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Yunsheng","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Cancer Center, Shenzhen Hospital (Futian) of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine","place":["Shenzhen, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rongde","family":"Zhong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People\u2019s Hospital\/the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center","place":["Shenzhen, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xianlin","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cancer Center, Shenzhen Hospital (Futian) of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine","place":["Shenzhen, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuyan","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cancer Center, Shenzhen Hospital (Futian) of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine","place":["Shenzhen, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jinfang","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cancer Center, Shenzhen Hospital (Futian) of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine","place":["Shenzhen, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zengwei","family":"Kou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Basic Medicine and Forensic Medicine, Henan University of Science and Technology","place":["Luoyang, China"]},{"name":"Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto","place":["Toronto, ON, Canada"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ana.25131","article-title":"Autoimmune encephalitis epidemiology and a comparison to infectious encephalitis","volume":"83","author":"Dubey","year":"2018","journal-title":"Ann Neurol"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-031-69895-8_87","article-title":"Autoimmune encephalitis","volume":"109","author":"Guasp","year":"2025","journal-title":"Med Clin North Am"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.2147\/ijgm.s397429","article-title":"Anti-NMDA receptor autoimmune encephalitis: Diagnosis and management strategies","volume":"16","author":"Nguyen","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Gen Med"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41594-024-01387-3","article-title":"Structural basis for antibody-mediated NMDA receptor clustering and endocytosis in autoimmune encephalitis","volume":"31","author":"Wang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Nat Struct Mol Biol"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3170\u20133183","DOI":"10.1093\/brain\/awaf096","article-title":"Activated alphabeta T- and reduced mucosa-associated invariant T cells in LGI1- and CASPR2-encephalitis","volume":"148","author":"Esser","year":"2025","journal-title":"Brain: A J Neurol"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00415-022-11130-x","article-title":"Anti-MOG associated disease with intracranial hypertension after COVID-19 vaccination","volume":"269","author":"Jeantin","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Neurol"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fphar.2025.1614831","article-title":"Bibliometric analysis of NMDA receptors: 2015-2024","volume":"16","author":"Liu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front Pharmacol"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1212\/nxi.0000000000200453","article-title":"Clinical characterization and long-term outcome in children and adults with anti-AMPA receptor encephalitis","volume":"12","author":"Milano","year":"2025","journal-title":"Neurology(R) Neuroimmunology Neuroinflamm"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2147\/itt.s498345","article-title":"Anti-GluK2 encephalitis in an Asian child: A case report and literature review","volume":"13","author":"Chen","year":"2024","journal-title":"Immunotargets Ther"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7554\/elife.108752","article-title":"Molecular architecture and function mechanism of tri-heteromeric GluN1-N2-N3A NMDA receptors","author":"Zengwei Kou","year":"2025","journal-title":"eLife"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/19336950.2025.2490308","article-title":"The glun3-containing NMDA receptors","volume":"19","author":"Xiong","year":"2025","journal-title":"Channels"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/s1474-4422(18)30244-8","article-title":"Frequency, symptoms, risk factors, and outcomes of autoimmune encephalitis after herpes simplex encephalitis: a prospective observational study and retrospective analysis","volume":"17","author":"Armangue","year":"2018","journal-title":"Lancet Neurol"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2331","DOI":"10.1212\/wnl.0000000000204481","article-title":"Infectious and autoimmune encephalitis (IAE): Population characteristics and prescribing patterns of immune globulin therapy from this national complex specialty pharmacy (P7-14.005)","volume":"102","author":"Miller","year":"2024"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"391","DOI":"10.1016\/s1474-4422(15)00401-9","article-title":"A clinical approach to diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis","volume":"15","author":"Graus","year":"2016","journal-title":"Lancet Neurol"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bpsgos.2025.100610","article-title":"Therapeutic shifts and scientific influence in treatment-resistant depression research: A data-driven perspective","volume":"6","author":"Liu","year":"2026","journal-title":"Biol Psychiatry Glob Open Sci"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2025.1692556","article-title":"A bibliometric analysis of vaccine research on Chikungunya virus: Contributors, trends, and emerging frontiers","volume":"16","author":"Shao","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2024.e26653","article-title":"Mapping the global research landscape and trends of autoimmune encephalitis: A bibliometric analysis","volume":"10","author":"Ouyang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Heliyon"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2024.1387260","article-title":"Global study of anti-NMDA encephalitis: A bibliometric analysis from 2005 to 2023","volume":"15","author":"Song","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Neurol"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1975\u20131986","DOI":"10.1038\/s41594-024-01386-4","article-title":"Structural and functional mechanisms of anti-NMDAR autoimmune encephalitis","volume":"31","author":"Michalski","year":"2024","journal-title":"Nat Struct Mol Biol"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2022.06.025","article-title":"Structural mechanisms of GABA(A) receptor autoimmune encephalitis","volume":"185","author":"Noviello","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cell"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.celrep.2024.114265","article-title":"An unconventional VH1\u20132 antibody tolerates escape mutations and shows an antigenic hotspot on SARS-CoV-2 spike","volume":"43","author":"Liu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cell Rep"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.csbj.2025.07.027","article-title":"Artificial intelligence insight on structural basis and small molecule binding niches of NMDA receptor","volume":"27","author":"Liu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Comput Struct Biotechnol J"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jsb.2025.108238","article-title":"Characterization of NMDA receptor allostery modulation","volume":"217","author":"Liu","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Struct Biol"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msard.2025.106530","article-title":"Combining AI and AlphaFold to design better therapies for autoimmune encephalitis","volume":"100","author":"Avasarala","year":"2025","journal-title":"Multiple Sclerosis Related Disord"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"130","DOI":"10.1186\/s40478-020-00999-2","article-title":"Co-expression of NMDA-receptor subunits NR1, NR2A, and NR2B in dysplastic neurons of teratomas in patients with paraneoplastic NMDA-receptor-encephalitis: a retrospective clinico-pathology study of 159 patients","volume":"8","author":"Jiang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Acta Neuropathol Commun"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/epi.70141","article-title":"Hippocampal atrophy and functional plasticity underlie cognitive outcome in anti-leucine-rich glioma-inactivated protein 1 encephalitis and their clinical correlates","author":"Song","year":"2026","journal-title":"Epilepsia"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"528","DOI":"10.1007\/s00415-025-13278-8","article-title":"MOG-IgG detection in serum and cerebrospinal fluid: Diagnostic implications and clinical correlates in adult-onset Chinese MOGAD patients","volume":"272","author":"Dai","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Neurol"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bbi.2025.106206","article-title":"Biomarkers of neuroaxonal and astrocytic pathology in autoimmune encephalitis","volume":"132","author":"Wesselingh","year":"2026","journal-title":"Brain Behavior Immun"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Immunology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fimmu.2026.1798782\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,22]],"date-time":"2026-04-22T05:47:06Z","timestamp":1776836826000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fimmu.2026.1798782\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,22]]},"references-count":28,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fimmu.2026.1798782"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fimmu.2026.1798782","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-3224"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-3224","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,22]]},"article-number":"1798782"}}