Research hotspots and trends in virtual reality combined exercise therapy for stroke rehabilitation: A bibliometric...

Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and long-term disability worldwide. In recent years, integrated rehabilitation models that combine virtual reality (VR) technology with standardized exercise therapy have emerged, demonstrating promising potential in improving recovery outcomes.

This bibliometric review systematically analyzes global literature on virtual reality combined with exercise therapy for stroke rehabilitation to map the knowledge landscape, identify research hotspots and evolutionary trends, and inform future research, clinical practice, and policy.

Relevant studies on VR combined with exercise therapy for stroke rehabilitation were retrieved from the Web of Science database, covering the period from database inception to 2025. Bibliometric and visualization analyses were conducted using CiteSpace and VOSviewer to assess publication trends, country, institutional contributions, authors and co-cited authors networks, highly cited references, core journals, and the evolution of research hotspots.

A total of 1,687 articles were identified, showing a steady upward publication trend. China ranked first in publication volume, while the United States had the highest total citation count. Researchers such as Calabrò, De Luca, and Naro from the IRCCS Centro Neurolesi in Messina, Italy, made notable contributions, particularly in VR-robotics combined rehabilitation. The Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation published the largest number of articles in this field. Keyword burst analysis indicated two distinct phases: before 2021, research primarily focused on conventional rehabilitation methods and clinical trials; after 2021, attention shifted towards the integration of emerging technologies in stroke rehabilitation, including machine learning and immersive VR, reflecting growing scholarly interest in novel rehabilitation strategies.

This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of VR combined with exercise therapy in stroke rehabilitation, identifying key research hotspots, emerging trends, and existing limitations. The findings could offer theoretical insights and data-driven evidence to support future research and clinical applications in this field.