Neurovascular Coupling: Scientometric Analysis of 30 Years Research (1996-2025)

Neurovascular coupling (NVC) is the functional mechanism that links brain neural activity with the dynamic regulation of local blood flow and oxygenation. In recent years, there has been an increasing academic attention to the role of NVC in its pathophysiology and the application of new technologies.

This study aims to map the research landscape related to NVC through scientometric analysis.

Publications from the past 30 years were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. Data were analyzed using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and the bibliometrix R package, including co-citation and keyword co-occurrence network analyses. Key metrics such as publication counts and citation frequencies were assessed to identify trends and collaboration patterns among countries, institutions, and authors.

Among the 2047 articles included in the study, United States has maintained a clear leading position. Meanwhile, the number of Chinese research participants has grown rapidly over the past decade. The most prolific authors were Professors Iadecola Costantino and Tarantini Stefano. The research findings of Professor Tarantini Stefano have been widely recognized by researchers in the field. Keyword analysis identified "cerebral blood flow," "neuronal activity," and "neurovascular coupling" as dominant terms, emphasizing the central role of brain function and imaging techniques such as fMRI, TCD, and optical imaging. The emergence of "fNIRS," "resting-state fMRI," and "autoregulation" highlights the growing impact of noninvasive neuroimaging in studying brain-blood flow interactions. Cluster analysis revealed key research themes including functional connectivity, nitric oxide-mediated vascular regulation, cerebral autoregulation, Alzheimer's disease metabolism, and CO₂-induced hemodynamic modulation.

Over the past three decades, NVC has emerged as a key research focus, driven by interdisciplinary collaboration and advances in brain connectivity, dysfunction, and technology. In the future, integrating artificial intelligence, multi-omics analysis, and high-resolution imaging will further elucidate NVC mechanisms in health and disease, promoting interdisciplinary translation and breakthroughs in neuroscience and brain health.