Alzheimer's disease and insomnia: a bibliometric study and visualization analysis

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a rapidly growing global neurodegenerative disorder.
• Insomnia is a common comorbidity with a bidirectional relationship to AD, accelerating pathology and worsening sleep.
• Current research explores oxidative stress, inflammation, and glymphatic dysfunction, but a comprehensive review is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To visually analyze the research landscape of Alzheimer's disease and insomnia using bibliometric methods.
• To identify key trends, leading institutions, prolific authors, and emerging research areas in AD and insomnia studies.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of 1,907 articles on "insomnia" and "Alzheimer's disease" (2000-2024).
• Data retrieved from Web of Science Core Collection.
• Analysis performed using CiteSpace and VOSviewer for institutions, authors, and keywords.

Main Results:

• Publication volume shows a consistent upward trend.
• The United States and Mayo Clinic are leading institutions; Boeve Bradley F is the most prolific author.
• Key terms include "Parkinson's disease," "cognitive impairment," and "sleep behavior disorder"; emerging areas are "sleep quality" and "glymphatic system."

Conclusions:

• This study highlights US/Mayo Clinic dominance, international collaboration, and focus on cognitive impairment, the glymphatic system, and sleep interventions.
• Insomnia may accelerate AD progression, suggesting improved sleep quality as an early intervention strategy.
• Future research should focus on clinical translation of sleep interventions and glymphatic system mechanisms.