SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Hum. Neurosci.
Sec. Brain Imaging and Stimulation
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1649726
This article is part of the Research TopicDeep Brain Stimulation: Pioneering Strategies for Improving Functional Performance and Mitigating Aggressiveness in Patients with Neurodevelopmental DisordersView all 3 articles
Global Trends and Research Gaps in Deep Brain Stimulation for Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Scientometrics Exploration of Functional and Behavioral Outcomes
Provisionally accepted
Mónica Acuña-Rodríguez1*
Kevin Fernando Montoya-Quintero2Fabriccio J. Visconti-Lopez3Judith Cristina Martinez-Royert4*- 1Costa University Corporation, Barranquilla, Colombia
- 2Universidad de Manizales, Manizales, Colombia
- 3Universidad Cientifica del Sur, Miraflores, Peru
- 4Universidad Simon Bolivar, Barranquilla, Colombia
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Deep brain stimulation has emerged as a potential intervention for improving functional outcomes and behavioral regulation in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the extent to which these clinical endpoints have been systematically studied remains unclear. A comparative scientometrics analysis was conducted to map the research landscape on deep brain stimulation in neurodevelopmental disorders (n=833 publications) and a focused subset addressing functional performance and aggressiveness (n=52). We used Bibliometrix in R and Matplotlib in Python to analyze studies published between 1996 and June 2025. Results showed a sustained increase in publication volume since 1996, but only 6.2% of studies explicitly addressed functional or behavioral endpoints. Clinical trials and systematic reviews were underrepresented in both datasets (1.20% and 3.12% in the general analysis; 0% and 7.69% in the subset, respectively). High-income countries dominated scientific production, with minimal contributions from lower-income regions. In the focused subset, Colombia emerged among the top 3 most productive countries. Keyword analyses revealed a thematic concentration on diagnostic categories rather than outcome-based evidence. These findings highlight critical research gaps and suggest a misalignment between current scientific focus and the clinical potential of deep brain stimulation in neurodevelopmental disorders. Future studies should focus on functional improvement and behavioral modulation to bridge this divide and support the development of evidence-based, patient-centered applications of deep brain stimulation in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Keywords: Deep Brain Stimulation, Neurodevelopmental disorders, Evidence gaps, Neurosciences, knowledge discovery
Received: 18 Jun 2025; Accepted: 15 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Acuña-Rodríguez, Montoya-Quintero, Visconti-Lopez and Martinez-Royert. 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:
Mónica Acuña-Rodríguez, Costa University Corporation, Barranquilla, Colombia
Judith Cristina Martinez-Royert, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Barranquilla, Colombia
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