Three Decades of Research on the Development of Ibogaine Treatment of Substance Use Disorders: A Scientometric Analysis.
Maria Helha Fernandes-Nascimento, André Brooking Negrão, Karine Viana-Ferreira, Bruno Daniel Rasmussen Chaves, Yuan‐pang Wang
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2024 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2023.2276230 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Scientometric analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,523 |
| Population | Published references on ibogaine |
| Topics | Addiction Ibogaine Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Citespace, psychedelics Scientometrics Substance use disorders Vosviewer Ibogaine research Ibogaine studies Ibogaine therapy Ibogaine treatment Ibogaine potential Ibogaine development Suds Addiction treatment Oud Drug addiction Substance abuse Therapeutic future Scientometric analysis Research landscape Publication trends Research activity Bibliometrics Research mapping Research growth Psychedelic medicine Psychedelic drugs |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key points | Research on ibogaine for substance use disorders is growing and widespread, but rigorous clinical research is still needed. |
Abstract
Ibogaine is a natural psychoactive drug that has been investigated for its potential role in the treatment of substance use disorders since the mid-1960s. To evaluate the interest in ibogaine's use as a therapeutic agent, we performed a scientometric analysis covering the last three decades (1993-2002, 2003-2012, and 2013-2022). A complementary analysis was performed to select and describe published clinical trials and meta-analyses. A total of 1523 references were found. Linear growth of publications in the first and third decades were identified, and the average number of publications from 1993 to 2002 was lower than that in the other two decades. Researchers from five continents were identified. Globally, academic research centers in the United States and Canada were the most productive. Cocaine, tobacco, morphine, and alcohol prevailed as major keywords in the first two decades and opioids and psychedelics were included in the third decade. A few key authors were the most co-referenced. One preclinical meta-analysis and no meta-analysis in humans were found. Research trends for ibogaine are widespread, growing, and consonant with current attentiveness in drug abuse. Our findings support the pressing need for rigorous clinical research on ibogaine to evaluate its efficacy and safety.