Mapping the intellectual structure and emerging trends of neurophobia research in health professions education

Neurophobia, commonly manifested as fear, anxiety, avoidance, and low confidence toward neuroscience and neurology, has emerged as a persistent challenge in health professions education with implications for learning outcomes, clinical competence, and workforce sustainability. Although the phenomenon has been widely documented across medical and allied health disciplines, existing research remains fragmented in terms of conceptualization, measurement, and intervention focus. To address this gap, the present study provides the first comprehensive bibliometric science-mapping synthesis of neurophobia research from an educational perspective. Using 239 English-language publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection between 1994 and 2025, bibliographic coupling was employed to examine the current intellectual structure of the field, while co-word analysis was used to identify emerging and future research directions. The bibliographic coupling analysis revealed four dominant research streams: recognition of neurophobia as a global, multifactorial educational phenomenon; neuroanatomy as a central pressure point driving perceived difficulty and anxiety; a paradigm shift from neurophobia to neurophilia through learner-centered curricular and pedagogical reform; and the neurology career gap linking neurophobia to specialty avoidance and workforce shortages. Complementarily, the co-word analysis identified five thematic frontiers shaping future inquiry: technology-enhanced learning of neuroanatomy; demystifying learning of clinical neurology; global and specialty-specific concentration patterns; alignment between perceptions, performance, and preparedness; and psychological and institutional influences sustaining neurophobia across training stages. Collectively, the findings support reconceptualizing neurophobia as an interactional construct shaped by cognitive, affective, pedagogical, and institutional factors. The study provides a data-driven foundation for theory development, educational innovation, and policy-relevant interventions to reduce neurophobia and strengthen neurological competence across health professions education.