%0 Journal Article
%T Analysis of the status and trends of international research in complementary and alternative medicine based on literature mining
%A Yuan-yuan Tong
%A Ying-kai Zhao
%J Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao
%D 2012
%I 
%X OBJECTIVE: To have an overview of the international status and trends of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) research, and to provide a reference tool for researchers.METHODS: Taking PubMed as the retrieval source, and using the methods of informetrics analysis (such as Price¡¯s Law of exponential growth, Bradford¡¯s law) and text mining (association rules), CAM articles published between 1998 and 2010 were statistically analyzed on, for example, document growth, core journals and active fields.RESULTS: The literature about CAM research published between 1998 and 2010 showed the trends of exponential growth in quantity. Regional distribution of literature was extensive; China and the United States were the two major sources. Forty-five periodicals were selected from core journals based on Bradford¡¯s law of scattering; some colleges and schools constituted the main force in research on CAM. The active fields mainly focus on (1) acupuncture research; (2) phytotherapy research; (3) mind-body medicine; (4) integrative medicine; (5) treatment and prevention of key conditions such as neoplasm, low back pain, mental disorder and chronic diseases.CONCLUSION: (1) CAM research has attracted attention from all over the world, and it will enter a rapid development stage in the future; (2) Treatment and prevention of neoplasm is a consistent key subject and research field in global CAM research; (3) Elucidating clinical effects, mechanisms of action, and safety of major CAM methods contitutes the most important task; (4) Studies on mind-body medicine have increased in recent years, so clinical evaluation and studies of mind-body interventions should be supported; (5) Research has been done increasingly for identification of the clinical effects and biological mechanisms of CAM interventions in symptom management; (6) Research on CAM will stimulate the development of modern medical model; (7) TCM is an active discipline of CAM, and China will thus face increasing challenges.
%U http://www.jcimjournal.com/en/FullText2.aspx?articleID=jcim20120601