SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Dementia and Neurodegenerative Diseases
This article is part of the Research TopicUnderstanding IGF-I's impact on neurocognitive aging: insights and therapeutic directionsView all articles
Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 Associated Research in Alzheimer's Disease: An Exploratory Trends Analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
- 2Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- 3The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
- 4Hunan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
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Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive impairment and behavioral deterioration. In recent years, the role of the insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling pathway in the pathological process of AD has received increasing attention. This study provides a visual analysis of the current research status, development trends, collaboration networks, and research hotspots related to IGF-1 and AD. Method: Publications were retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix software were used for visual analysis. Results: A total of 632 publications were included in the study. The annual publications related to IGF-1 and AD exhibited an overall upward trend. Research was concentrated in North America, Asia, and Europe. The United States holds a dominant position in terms of output, influence, and international influence. The Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas was the most active institution. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease was the journal with the highest number of publications. Dr. Ignacio Torres-Aleman was the most prolific author. High-frequency keywords included IGF-1, AD, brain, insulin, controlled study, metabolism, oxidative stress, animals, signal transduction, amyloid beta protein, dementia, aging, and neuroprotection. Transgenic mouse, risk, depression, and cognitive impairment were the most powerful keywords that have emerged in recent years. Conclusion: Research on IGF-1 and AD has continued to grow. Studies in this field have formed a tightly interconnected network, centered on the AD pathological core—IGF-1-related molecular mechanisms—downstream signaling pathways. The research focus is shifting from superficial correlations to investigations into underlying mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. Depression and cognitive impairment are likely to become promising frontiers for future research.
Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, cognitive impairment, Depression, IGF-1, Metabolism, Oxidative Stress
Received: 23 Jan 2026; Accepted: 03 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Chen, Xie, Zhu, Zhou and Li. 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: Bo Li
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