Research hotspots and frontiers of neuromodulation technology in the last decade: a visualization analysis based on the Web of Science database

Background: Since the 1990s, neuromodulation technology has experienced rapid advancements, providing new therapeutic approaches for clinical rehabilitation in neurological disorders. The objective of this study is to utilize CiteSpace and VOSviewer to investigate the current research status, key topics, and future trends in the field of neuromodulation technology over the past decade. Methods: Relevant literature in the field of neuromodulation technology published in the Web of Science database from January 1, 2014 to June 18, 2024 were retrieved, and imported into CiteSpace and VOSviewer for visualization. VOSviewer was used for counties, institutions, authors and keywords analyses. CiteSpace was used for visualization analysis of co-cited references, keywords clusters and bursts. Results: A total of 1,348 relevant publications were included, with publication numbers increasing year by year, most notably between 2020 and 2021. The United States, China and the United Kingdom are the leading countries by output. Top publishing institutions were Harvard Medical School, University of Toronto and Stanford University. Keyword co-occurrence and cluster analysis identified deep brain stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, and focused ultrasound stimulation as the most widely used central nerve stimulation techniques, and chronic pain treatment as a key focus. Recent keyword bursts included recovery, movement, nucleus, modeling and plasticity, indicating future trends. Conclusion: Neuromodulation technology is garnering increasing attention and is widely used in brain diseases. Future research will likely focus on exploring deep brain structure stimulation targets and restoring motor function based on neuroplasticity theory.

Yanpei Liu, Qian Zhang, Haoran Zhang, Yun Xiang, Hui Wang