A bibliometric analysis of transcranial alternating current stimulation

Area of Science:

• Neuromodulation
• Neuroscience
• Brain Stimulation

Background:

• Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a widely used neuromodulation technique for modulating brain activity.
• Despite its prevalence, a comprehensive overview of tACS research trends and hotspots is lacking.
• This study aims to bridge this gap by analyzing publication data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To visually analyze recent publications on tACS using CiteSpace.
• To systematically identify current research hotspots and development trends in the tACS field.
• To provide insights for future tACS research directions.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of publications from the Web of Science Core Collection (Science Citation Index Expanded) up to August 4, 2023.
• Utilized CiteSpace software to analyze authors, institutions, countries, keywords, co-cited authors, journals, and references.
• Identified 677 relevant papers published between 2008 and 2023.

Main Results:

• Publication output shows an increasing trend from 2008-2023, with Germany as the leading country.
• Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg and C.S. Herrmann were identified as highly productive institution and author, respectively.
• Key research areas include disease, neural mechanisms, and electric stimulation, with future trends focusing on disease applications, multi-site stimulation, and combination therapies.

Conclusions:

• tACS demonstrates significant research value and potential, attracting growing scientific interest.
• This bibliometric analysis offers a clear overview of the current status and trends in tACS clinical research.
• Findings aid researchers in identifying emerging hotspots and exploring novel research avenues in tACS.