Mirror therapy in the neuroadaptive training paradigm in rehabilitation and potential mechanisms of neural remodeling: A 20year bibliometrics analysis

Yinkai Wang¹Chong Guan^2,3Haozheng Li^4,5Bokai Wei⁶Xiuqin Lv⁷Guohui Yang⁸Qian Yang¹Chao Geng¹Jingying Gao¹Zixuan Yu^6*Tianbao Sun^1*

• ¹The First Rehabilitation Hospital of Shanghai, Shanghai, China
• ²Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China
• ³School of Rehabilitation Science, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
• ⁴Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China
• ⁵Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China
• ⁶School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China
• ⁷Shanghai Xinqidian Rehabilitation Hospital, shanghai, China
• ⁸School of Exercise and Health, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China

Objective: Mirror Therapy activates mirror neurons, promotes neural connection regeneration, promotes brain reorganization and motor recovery, and alleviates limb pain. This study uses bibliometric methods to analyze the research trends of Mirror Therapy, aiming to fill the current research gap and provide valuable insights and suggestions for future research.Methods: Publications related to mirror therapy from 2004 to 2024 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Data visualization and analysis were performed using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Scimago Graphica.Results:We included 728 papers in the analysis and noted an increasing trend in annual publication volume. Collaboration network analysis revealed close cooperation among scholars from these major countries and institutions.The high-frequency reference vocabulary related to mirror therapy is grouped through a clustering network, revealing the main directions and hotspots of research.Keyword burst analysis reveals current research trends, including mechanism exploration, clinical applications, and clinical treatment areas. Conclusion: A 20-year bibliometric analysis of mirror therapy literature highlights its global expansion and diversification, particularly in neurology and rehabilitation, emphasizing its importance in pain relief and post-stroke recovery, with future interdisciplinary research focusing on biomarkers and neuroimaging to refine its clinical effectiveness. 136We analyzed the top 10 journals based on citation count (Table 2). Among these, two journals had 138 an impact factor greater than 8.5: Brain (10.6) and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (8.8). 139 Furthermore, these journals are categorized within the fields of rehabilitation medicine, clinical 140 neurology, and neuroscience, with nine of the ten ranked in Q1. 141 Table 2. Top 10 cited journals.