Abstract
Objective
We have carried out a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications related to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its pharmacological treatment over the period 1980–2005.
Method
We selected (in EMBASE and MEDLINE databases) documents that contained in their title the descriptors attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, attention deficit disorder, ADHD and ADD. As bibliometric indicators of production and dispersion we applied Price’s Law and Bradford’s Law, respectively. We also calculated the national participation index (PI) and correlated it with overall PI in biomedical and health sciences, with PI in the discipline of Psychiatry and with the social-health indicators (per capita Gross Domestic Product, number of physicians and total per capita expenditure on health).
Results
We obtained 5,269 original documents (2,325 corresponded to pharmacological therapy). Our results indicate fulfilment of Price’s Law, since scientific production on ADHD undergoes exponential growth (correlation coefficient r = 0.9859, vs. r = 0.9011 after linear adjustment). The most widely studied drugs are methylphenidate (1,251 documents). Division into Bradford zones yields a nucleus occupied exclusively by the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (500 articles). A total of 866 different journals were employed. Twelve of the first 20 used journals have an Impact Factor > 2. The principal producer country is the United States (PI = 44.2). Only four countries, of the 20 major producers in health sciences, surpass their own PI in the field of Psychiatry (Brazil, China, Spain and the United States). The correlation between PI and total number of physicians for each country situates Canada, Australia, the United States and Israel in the top positions.
Conclusion
Productivity on ADHD has undergone exponential growth in the period 1980–2005, without evidence a saturation point.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barkley RA (2006) History. In: Barkley RA (ed) Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. A handbook for diagnosis and treatment, 3rd edn. Guilford Press, New York, pp 3–75
Biederman J (2005) Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a selective overview. Biol Psychiatry 57:1215–1220
Biederman J (2006) New developments in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Clin Psychiatry 67(Suppl 8):3–6
Bordons M, Zulueta MA (1999) Evaluación de la actividad científica a través de indicadores bibliométricos. Rev Esp Cardiol 52:790–800
Bradford SC (1948) Documentation. Crosby Lockwood, London
Camí J, Suñén-Piñol E, Méndez-Vásquez R (2005) Mapa bibliométrico de España 1994–2002: biomedicina y ciencias de la salud. Med Clin (Barc) 124:93–101. Available at: http://193.147.240.216/webs/MapaBiomedico2002/Index.htm
Douglas VI (1972) Stop, look and listen: the problem of sustained attention and impulse control in hyperactive and normal children. Can J Behav Sci 4:259–282
Faraone SV, Khan SA (2006) Candidate gene studies of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Clin Psychiatry 67(Suppl 8):13–20
Faraone SV, Sergeant JA, Gillberg C, Biederman J (2003) The worldwide prevalence of ADHD: is it an American condition?. World Psychiatry 2:104–113
Faraone SV, Spencer T, Aleardi M (2004) Etiology and pathophysiology of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Prim Psychiatry 11:28–40
Gómez I, Bordons M (1996) Limitaciones en el uso de los indicadores bibliométricos para la evaluación científica. Política Científica 46:21–26
INCB (2006), Report of the International Narcotics Control Board. United Nations, New York Available at: http://www.incb.org/pdf/e/tr/psy/2005/psychotropic_substances_2005.pdf
Keith S (2006) Advances in psychotropic formulations. Progress Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 30:996–1008
Kessler RC (2004) Prevalence of ADHD in the US: results from the NCS-R. American Psychiatric Association, Washington
Kutcher S, Aman M, Brooks SJ, Buitelaar J, Van Dalen E, Fegert J, Findling RL, Fisman S, Grrennhill LL, Huss M, Kusumakar V, Pine D, Taylor E, Tyano S (2004) International consensus statement on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and disruptive behaviour disorders (DBDs): clinical implications and treatment practice suggestions. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 14:11–28
López-Muñoz F, Alamo C, Guerra JA, Rubio G (2006) Twenty-four years of scientific publications on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI): a bibliometric approach. In: Shirley AC (ed) Focus on serotonin uptake inhibitor research. Nova Science Publishers, Inc., New York, pp 191–219
López-Muñoz F, Alamo C, Rubio G, García-García P, Martín-Agueda B, Cuenca E (2003) Bibliometric analysis of biomedical publications on SSRIs during the period 1980–2000. Depress Anxiety 18:95–103
López-Muñoz F, Vieta E, Rubio G, García-García P, Alamo C (2006) Bipolar disorder as an emerging pathology in the scientific literature: a bibliometric approach. J Affect Disord 92:161–170
MTA Cooperative Group (1999) A 14-month randomized clinical trial of treatment strategies for ADHD. Arch Gen Psychiatry 56:1073–1086
Madaan V, Kinnan S, Daughton J, Kratochvil CJ (2006) Innovations and recent trends in the treatment of ADHD. Expert Rev Neurother 6:1375–1385
Mattes JA (1980) The role of frontal lobe dysfunction in childhood hyperkinesis. Compr Psychiatry 21:358–369
Mulas F, Mattos L, Hernández-Muela S, Gandía R (2005) Actualización terapéutica en el trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad: metilfenidato de liberación prolongada. Rev Neurol 40:S49–S55
Polanczyk G, Silva M, Lessa B, Biederman J, Rodhe LA (2007) The worldwide prevalence of ADHD: a systematic review and metaregression analysis. Am J Psychiatry 164:942–948
Price DJS (1963) Little science, big science. Columbia University Press, New York
Rappley MD (2005) Clinical pratice. Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. N Engl J Med 352:165–171
Spencer T, Willens T, Biederman J, Faraone SV, Ablon JS, Lapeyet K (1995) A double-blind, crossover comparison of methylphenidate and placebo in adults with childhood onset attention-hyperactivity disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry 52:434–443
Thomas CP, Conrad P, Casler R, Goodman E (2006) Trends in the use of psychotropic medications among adolescents, 1994–2001. Psychiatr Serv 57:63–69
Valdizan JR, coord (2005) Consenso multidisciplinar en TDAH: infancia, adolescencia y adultos, 2005. Available at: http://www.aapi.org.ar/Aapi/ArchivosTDAH/TDAH%20%20documento%20presentado%20en%20Mas%20Casadevall.pdf
Wilens T, Spencer T, Biederman J (2002) A review of the pharmacotherapy of adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Attent Disord 5:189–202
Zito JM, Safer DJ, dosReis S, Gardner JF, Boles M, Lynch F (2000) Trends in the prescribing of psychotropic medications to preschoolers. J Am Med Assoc 283:1025–1030
Zito JM, Safer DJ, dosReis S, Gardner JF, Magder L, Soeken K, Boles M, Lynch F, Riddle MA (2003) Psychotropic practice patterns for youth: A 10-year perspective. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 157:17–25
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
López-Muñoz, F., Alamo, C., Quintero-Gutiérrez, F.J. et al. A bibliometric study of international scientific productivity in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder covering the period 1980–2005. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 17, 381–391 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-008-0680-1
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-008-0680-1