Digital health-based physical activity and cognitive function in older adults: A bibliometric analysis

With the advancement of digital technologies, digital health-supported physical activity has attracted considerable attention for its potential to enhance cognitive function in older adults. To systematically review the research progress and trends in this field, this study utilized CiteSpace 6.3 R2 for bibliometric analysis of relevant literature.

Publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus databases, and after screening and merging, a total of 201 publications were included for analysis. CiteSpace 6.3 R2 was used to conduct bibliometric analysis from dimensions such as keyword, country, and institution.

The annual publication counts showed an overall increasing trend, with Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience having the highest number of publications, and the coverage of the two databases being partially overlapping yet complementary. Co-occurrence analysis revealed that the United States, Harvard Medical School, and Eling D. De Bruin were the most active at the national, institutional, and author levels. In terms of co-citation analysis, Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, "Unknown," and Ying-Yi Liao (2019) had the highest citation frequencies across journals, authors, and references. High co-occurrence keywords included "virtual reality," "older adults," and "exercise." Keyword clustering revealed major clusters such as "rct," "multiple sclerosis," and "digital health," with recent burst keywords including "age," "care," "digital health," and "physical exercise."

Research in this field is rapidly advancing, showing a clear trend toward multidisciplinary integration. Collaboration networks have formed across regions, institutions, and authors, but remain relatively fragmented. Core journals, influential authors, and highly cited publications have collectively shaped the foundational knowledge base of the field. Recent studies have focused on integration models and collaborative mechanisms between digital health technologies and physical activity. Future research should emphasize interdisciplinary and international collaboration, prioritizing the development of personalized, real-world-oriented digital health interventions to enhance the quality of life for older adults.