Phytochemical interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder: A cluster co-occurrence network analysis using CiteSpace.

Research on plant-based treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder has surged since 2015, with nearly half of all relevant articles coming from North America. A cluster co-occurrence network analysis of 301 articles from the Web of Science database (2007–2022) shows the field is dominated by neuroscience and neurology, and most studies focus on psychedelic interventions. Three timelines reveal an "ebb and flow" between research on substance use/marijuana abuse and psychedelic medicine/medicinal cannabis. Other phytochemicals account for a small proportion of studies, examining neurosteroid turnover, serotonin levels, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression. The research is unevenly distributed across countries, disciplines, and journals.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This study investigated trends in the study of phytochemical treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Web of Science database (2007-2022) was searched using the search terms "phytochemicals" and "PTSD," and relevant literature was compiled. Network clustering co-occurrence analysis and qualitative narrative review were conducted. Three hundred and one articles were included in the analysis of published research, which has surged since 2015 with nearly half of all relevant articles coming from North America. The category is dominated by neuroscience and neurology, with two journals, Addictive Behaviors and Drug and Alcohol Dependence, publishing the greatest number of papers on these topics. Most studies focused on psychedelic intervention for PTSD. Three timelines show an "ebb and flow" phenomenon between "substance use/marijuana abuse" and "psychedelic medicine/medicinal cannabis." Other phytochemicals account for a small proportion of the research and focus on topics like neurosteroid turnover, serotonin levels, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression. Research on phytochemicals and PTSD is unevenly distributed across countries/regions, disciplines, and journals. Since 2015, the research paradigm shifted to constitute the mainstream of psychedelic research thus far, leading to the exploration of botanical active ingredients and molecular mechanisms. Other studies focus on anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammation. Please cite this article as: Gao B, Qu YC, Cai MY, Zhang YY, Lu HT, Li HX, Tang YX, Shen H. Phytochemical interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder: A cluster co-occurrence network analysis using CiteSpace. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(4):385-396.