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METHODS article

Front. Aging Neurosci.

Sec. Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias

Volume 17 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2025.1585885

This article is part of the Research TopicBrain stimulation for cognitive impairments in psychiatric and neurodegenerative disordersView all 5 articles

Current Application Status of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Techniques in Alzheimer's Disease: A Bibliometric Analysis

Provisionally accepted
Shan  CongShan Cong1,2Meng  WangMeng Wang2Long  YanLong Yan2Li  SunLi Sun2Bowen  ZhengBowen Zheng2Jinying  XieJinying Xie2Yulin  QianYulin Qian2*Tao  YuTao Yu2*
  • 1Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
  • 2First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nankai District, Tianjin, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses a significant global public health challenge. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy and constitutes a rapidly evolving research domain for AD intervention. This study aims to synthesize recent advancements in NIBS technologies for AD through comprehensive knowledge mapping. By mapping the research landscape, identifying key trends, and analyzing collaborative networks, we seek to explore emerging frontiers and translational potential of NIBS in AD research, thereby informing evidence-based clinical practice. Methods: Using the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-E) of Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database. The analysis included an evaluation of publication trends, journal distribution statistics, country/region and institutional collaboration networks, author and co-cited author networks, co-citation document networks, as well as keywords and research hotspot analysis. Then CiteSpace, GraphPad Prism, VOSviewer, Microsoft Excel and NoteExpress were used for follow-up bibliometric analysis. Results: A total of 632 studies were included in this study. Research on NIBS applications in AD peaked during 2020-2021. The predominant journals disseminating NIBS-AD research were Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, and Clinical Neurophysiology. Italy, China, and the United States led in research contributions during this period. At the institutional level, Harvard Medical School and the University of Brescia published the most. There are 529 authors in this field, among which Professor Giacomo Koch maintains a continuous academic leadership position. Keyword analysis revealed high-frequency terms, "Alzheimer's disease", "transcranial magnetic stimulation", and "mild cognitive impairment". "impairment" and "non-invasive brain stimulation" emerged as citation burst terms from 2022 onward, signaling current investigative priorities centered on NIBS-induced cognitive modulation, therapeutic target selection, and underlying neurophysiological mechanisms. Conclusions: This study comprehensively reviews current research status, hotspots and trends of NIBS in AD. The results suggest that researchers should focus on the cognitive impact of NIBS technology on AD patients, the best therapeutic targets and potential mechanisms. Strengthening global collaboration among international, institutional and scientific researchers should be promoted to promote the in-depth development of this field.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, non-invasive brain stimulation, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, bibliometric analysis, Citespace

Received: 01 Mar 2025; Accepted: 29 Aug 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Cong, Wang, Yan, Sun, Zheng, Xie, Qian and Yu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence:
Yulin Qian, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nankai District, 300193, Tianjin, China
Tao Yu, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nankai District, 300193, Tianjin, China

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