A century of research on neuromodulation interventions: A scientometric analysis of trends and knowledge maps

Michel Sabé; Adi Sulstarova; Chaomei Chen; Joshua Hyde; Emmanuel Poulet; André Aleman; Jonathan Downar; Valerie Brandt; Luc Mallet; Othman Sentissi; Michael A Nitsche; Marom Bikson; André Russowsky Brunoni; Samuele Cortese; Marco Solmi

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105300

A century of research on neuromodulation interventions: A scientometric analysis of trends and knowledge maps

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2023 Sep:152:105300. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105300. Epub 2023 Jun 30.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, 2, Chemin du Petit-Bel-Air, CH-1226 Thonex, Switzerland. Electronic address: michel.sabe@hcuge.ch.
² Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, 2, Chemin du Petit-Bel-Air, CH-1226 Thonex, Switzerland.
³ College of Computing & Informatics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
⁴ Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
⁵ Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, Bron, France; INSERM, U1028, CNRS, UMR5292, France; University Lyon 1, F-69000 Villeurbanne, France; Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, PSYR2 Team, F-69000 Lyon, France; Université Jean Monnet Saint Etienne, F-42000, France; Psychiatric Emergency Service, Hospices Civils de Lyon, F-69005 Lyon, France.
⁶ University of Groningen, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
⁷ Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; MRI-Guided rTMS Clinic, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Centre for Mental Health, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁸ Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; Clinic of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany.
⁹ Univ Paris-Est Créteil, DMU IMPACT, Département Médical-Universitaire de Psychiatrie et d'Addictologie, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Albert Chenevier, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Créteil, France; Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau, Paris Brain Institute, ICM, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France; Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, Global Health Institute, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
¹⁰ Dept. Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at TU Dortmund, Germany; Bielefeld University, University Hospital OWL, Protestant Hospital of Bethel Foundation, University Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and University Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Germany.
¹¹ Department of Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York, New York, NY, USA.
¹² Departamento de Clínica Médica da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Instituto de Psiquiatria do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP, São Paulo, Brazil.
¹³ Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; Clinical and Experimental Sciences (CNS and Psychiatry), Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; Solent NHS Trust, Southampton, UK; Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York University Child Study Center, New York, NY, USA; Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
¹⁴ Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Mental Health, The Ottawa Hospital, Ontario, Canada; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) Clinical Epidemiology Program University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.

PMID: 37392815
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105300

Abstract

Interest in neurostimulation interventions has significantly grown in recent decades, yet a scientometric analysis objectively mapping scientific knowledge and recent trends remains unpublished. Using relevant keywords, we conducted a search in the Web of Science Core Collection on September 23, 2022, retrieving a total of 47,681 documents with 987,979 references. We identified two prominent research trends: 'noninvasive brain stimulation' and 'invasive brain stimulation.' These methods have interconnected over time, forming a cluster focused on evidence synthesis. Noteworthy emerging research trends encompassed 'transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation,' 'DBS/epilepsy in the pediatric population,' 'spinal cord stimulation,' and 'brain-machine interface.' While progress has been made for various neurostimulation interventions, their approval as adjuvant treatments remains limited, and optimal stimulation parameters lack consensus. Enhancing communication between experts of both neurostimulation types and encouraging novel translational research could foster further development. These findings offer valuable insights for funding agencies and research groups, guiding future directions in the field.

Keywords: CiteSpace; DBS; ECT; Evidence synthesis; RTMS; Scientometrics; TDCS.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Child
Deep Brain Stimulation* / methods
Epilepsy* / therapy
Humans
Vagus Nerve Stimulation*