Practical Neurology

Top Research Topics at Practical Neurology?

The aim of Practical Neurology is to expand the discussion of research in Surgery, Psychiatry, Disease, Pediatrics and Neurology. Topics in Surgery explored in the journal were investigated in conjunction with research in Stroke and Anesthesia. Stroke research presented falls under the umbrella topic of Internal medicine.

Epilepsy is a key component of Psychiatry research discussed in it. Disease research discussed in the journal aim to provide more information in the subject of Pathology.

• Surgery (17.05%)
• Psychiatry (16.56%)
• Disease (10.51%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

• The posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: what's certain, what's new? (153 citations)
• Foot drop: where, why and what to do? (149 citations)
• Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (145 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Practical Neurology:

The most cited publications facilitate discussions on Disease, Psychiatry, Intensive care medicine, Physical therapy and Neuroscience. While Psychiatry is the focus of the journal publications, it also provides insights into the studies of Cognitive psychology and Dementia. The published papers focus on Physical therapy but sometimes tackle the closely related topic of Stroke which is concerned with Medical emergency and Anesthesia.

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

• Internal medicine
• Disease
• Surgery

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The journal mainly deals with areas of study such as Pathology, Clinical neurology, Stroke, Pediatrics and Weakness. The studies on Pathology discussed can also contribute to research in the domains of Meningitis and Hyperintensity. It explores research in Myelopathy and overlapping concepts in Surgery to expand the discourse in Hyperintensity.

While the journal focused on Stroke, it was also able to explore topics like Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, Vertigo, Vasculitis and Physical medicine and rehabilitation. The research on Pediatrics featured in the journal combines topics in other fields like Neurological disorder, Disease, Genetic testing and Endocrine system. The research on Disease tackled can also make contributions to studies in the areas of Hematology and Neurology.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

• Acute intracerebral haemorrhage: diagnosis and management (4 citations)
• Black blood imaging of intracranial vessel walls (2 citations)
• Vision loss in giant cell arteritis. (1 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

Top authors and change over time

The top authors publishing in Practical Neurology (based on the number of publications) are:

• Charles Warlow (25 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Richard Davenport (24 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Jon Stone (24 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
• Geraint Fuller (23 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Martin R Turner (21 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition, 1 less than at the previous edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Top affiliations and change over time

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in Practical Neurology (based on the number of publications) are:

• Western General Hospital (81 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition, 3 less than at the previous edition,
• University Hospital of Wales (58 papers) published 4 papers at the last edition, 1 less than at the previous edition,
• UCL Institute of Neurology (55 papers) published 7 papers at the last edition, 1 more than at the previous edition,
• University College London (47 papers) published 5 papers at the last edition, 4 less than at the previous edition,
• University of Oxford (44 papers) published 6 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2021 edition, 17.24% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 30.21% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 9.38% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 12.50% of all publications and 47.92% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

• Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
• Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
• Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
• Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
• Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Practical Applications and Career Opportunities in Neurology

The field of neurology encompasses a wide range of sub-disciplines and research topics, as outlined in the preceding sections. However, those considering a career in this field might often wonder about the practical implications and applications of the discussed research topics. What are the career opportunities for those who pursue these specific research areas? How does research in areas such as Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Disease translate to the real world? Neurological research plays a significant role in developing care strategies for various neurological diseases, creating medical devices and procedures, and establishing best practices for neurological treatment. Careers in this field can be vastly fulfilling, offering opportunities to directly contribute to the healthcare industry's advancement. For example, pediatrics-related neurological research can lead to a career as a Pediatric Neurologist, dealing specifically with neurology concerning children and adolescents. A career as a Psychiatric Neurologist or a Neuropsychiatrist can be a result of intense research and interest in Psychiatry. Furthermore, an understanding of diseases, their causes and effects, and ways to manage them can lead to a career in clinical research or working directly with patients suffering from those diseases. Another trending career pathway in this field is becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) specializing in neurology. This career often requires less schooling than a traditional medical degree but still allows individuals to make significant contributions in patient care and treatment. For those interested in such a career pathway, various trusted and recognized programs offer training in this field. One can find an extensive list of such programs on our sister website, including the list of top online lpn programs in Utah. Note that significant advancements in the field of neurology are always on the horizon as researchers continue to explore these topics, thereby continually creating new opportunities and niches within the field. Any budding neurologist is encouraged to keep an open mind and a willingness to learn and adapt to the changing landscape of this discipline.