Parkinson’s disease (PD), the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, affects over 10 million individuals globally. PD is characterized by motor symptoms such as progressive asymmetric bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor, and gait disturbances, as well as non-motor symptoms, including hyposmia, sleep disturbances, and constipation [1]. These symptoms cause significant disruption in patients' daily lives and contribute to the growing global public health burden. As a disease characterized by chronic degenerative features that can progress over decades, it also places considerable psychological strain on patients and their caregivers. Research indicates that the global incidence of PD is increasing annually.

The primary pathological features of Parkinson’s disease include the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the intracellular accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates [2], [3]. Current research on PD pathogenesis predominantly focuses on genetic factors and neuropathological mechanisms [4], [5].

Autosomal dominant forms of PD are associated with mutations in SNCA, LRRK2, and VPS35, whereas autosomal recessive forms involve PRKN, PINK1, and DJ1 (PARK7) [6]. Other gene mutations are less common or rare. Additionally, the dominant gene GBA1, which is implicated in lipid metabolism, has also been linked to Parkinson’s disease [7].

α-Synuclein (α-Syn), a neuronal protein enriched at presynaptic terminals, plays critical roles in vesicle trafficking and neurotransmitter release. Under pathological conditions, α-Syn misfolds and aggregates, forming oligomers, protofibrils, and ultimately intracellular eosinophilic inclusions - Lewy bodies [8]. Key pathological mechanisms include mitochondrial dysfunction and lysosomal impairment, dysregulated lipid metabolism, endoplasmic reticulum stress, oxidative stress/redox imbalance, immune activation, neuroinflammation, and environmental neurotoxicants (such as pesticide exposure) [4]. Emerging evidence suggests that misfolded α-Syn may originate in the gut and propagate retrogradely to the brainstem via the vagus nerve [9]. These aggregates activate microglia, trigger neuroinflammation, stimulate the immune system, compromise mitochondrial membrane integrity and impair synaptic endocytosis, autophagy and lipid metabolism. Collectively, these cascades lead to neuronal degeneration and death [10]. Recent research implicates that PD pathogenesis also involves the gut-brain axis [11], epigenetic regulation [12], and ferroptosis [13]. However, a comprehensive overview of the mechanistic landscape underlying PD pathogenesis remains poorly delineated. This has resulted in PD treatments failing to target specific pathogenic mechanisms and remaining focused on symptom relief [14]. There is an urgent need for a comprehensive overview and trend analysis of PD pathogenesis research to guide future studies and clinical treatment practices.

In order to conduct a methodical and thorough examination of the research landscape on the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), this study used bibliometric and statistical tools. In contrast to conventional reviews, this study minimizes subjective bias and guarantees analytical correctness and reproducibility by relying on substantial scientific and objective data. Bibliometric tools fully disclose both research hotspots and gaps that urgently need to be filled, presenting the general health of the subject in a more detailed and understandable way through visual visuals. This study aimed to use bibliometric techniques to trace the development of PD pathomechanism research over the last ten years, illustrate its knowledge structure, and identify research imbalances and links between various disease processes, thereby providing researchers with a thorough grasp of the area and direction for future research by providing data-driven insights for identifying important pathological nodes, optimizing the design of pathological models, and motivating cross-pathomechanism treatment approaches. To the best of our knowledge, no prior research has conducted a bibliometric analysis on this subject.