{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,30]],"date-time":"2026-10-30T18:25:55Z","timestamp":1793384755824,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,6]],"date-time":"2026-02-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770336000000},"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. Neurosci."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition. Increasing studies examine whether gut microbiota alterations and the gut\u2013brain axis are linked to ASD-relevant phenotypes. As the literature expands rapidly, a quantitative mapping is needed to clarify influential work and evolving themes.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To map global research on ASD and the gut microbiota, identify major contributors and knowledge bases, and characterize thematic evolution and emerging fronts.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We analyzed 1,391 English-language articles and reviews indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (1999\u20132024). CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and R were used to evaluate publication trends, collaboration networks, co-citation structure, keyword clustering, and burst detection.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Publication output increased slowly before 2010 and accelerated after 2018. The United States and China were leading contributors and key collaboration hubs. The co-citation core was anchored by landmark experimental and translational studies, including work on microbiome-to-behavior links and microbiome-targeted interventions. Keyword clustering and timeline views highlighted three prominent thematic directions: fecal microbiota transplantation, Rett syndrome, and maternal immune activation. Recurrent and burst keywords emphasized the gut\u2013brain axis, short-chain fatty acids, gastrointestinal symptoms, and oxidative stress. Recent burst terms, including obesity, major depressive disorder, and glutamate, suggest increasing connections to metabolic and broader psychiatric dimensions.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>ASD\u2013microbiome research has shifted from descriptive comparisons toward mechanism-oriented and intervention-relevant questions. Future progress will benefit from standardized protocols, longitudinal designs, and multi-omics integration, together with rigorously designed trials to evaluate microbiome-targeted strategies.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fnins.2026.1607951","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,6]],"date-time":"2026-02-06T06:50:03Z","timestamp":1770360603000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Global trends and future perspectives in autism spectrum disorder and gut microbiota research: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"20","author":[{"given":"Guojun","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Life Health and Bioinformatics, School of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology","place":["Baotou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Linzi","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha","place":["Hunan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maosen","family":"Guan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Central Plains Wushu Research Institute of Henan University","place":["Kaifeng, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ningkun","family":"Xiao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Immunochemistry, Institution of Chemical Engineering, Ural Federal University","place":["Yekaterinburg, Russia"]},{"name":"Laboratory for Brain and Neurocognitive Development, Department of Psychology, Institution of Humanities, Ural Federal University","place":["Yekaterinburg, Russia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1762","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2016.06.001","article-title":"Microbial reconstitution reverses maternal diet-induced social and synaptic deficits in offspring.","volume":"165","author":"Buffington","year":"2016","journal-title":"Cell"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1877","DOI":"10.1152\/physrev.00018.2018","article-title":"The microbiota-gut-brain axis.","volume":"99","author":"Cryan","year":"2019","journal-title":"Physiol. 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