Research hotspots and trends in electrical stimulation for movement disorders: a bibliometric analysis from 2016 to...

Electrical stimulation therapies have become pivotal interventions for managing refractory movement disorders. However, the rapidly expanding and fragmented body of literature necessitates a macroscopic evaluation to identify global collaborative networks and emerging scientific frontiers. Consequently, this study conducted a comprehensive visualization analysis of research trends and hotspots in this domain to delineate the evolutionary trajectory and guide future therapeutic developments. Publications from 2016 to 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and PubMed using keywords such as movement disorders, deep brain stimulation, and neuromodulation. Selection criteria mandated English-language clinical articles and reviews investigating electrical stimulation, while excluding purely pharmacological studies. Bibliometric mapping was performed utilizing CiteSpace VOSviewer, the bibliometrix R package, and Microsoft Excel. A total of 2,944 publications were retrieved from 553 journals by 13,489 authors from 489 countries/regions across six continents. The United States contributed the highest volume, followed by Germany and China. The University of Toronto emerged as the most prolific and collaborative institution ahead of Harvard Medical School and the University of Florida. The journal Movement Disorders ranked first in both publication productivity and co-citation frequency. Furthermore, Lozano AM and Fasano A were identified as the most productive authors, while Deuschl G and Benabid AL represented the foundational co-cited authorities. Thematic analysis indicates that research focuses primarily on deep-brain stimulation targeting the subthalamic nucleus for Parkinson's disease. Crucially, emerging keywords, including plasticity, substantia nigra balance, and dynamics, demonstrate a definitive scientific shift. This transition moves away from static symptom management toward investigating complex neural circuit mechanisms and optimizing adaptive closed-loop neuromodulation to address refractory symptoms. This analysis highlights a major shift in electrical stimulation research from open-loop validation toward individualized connectomics and mechanism-based neurorehabilitation. Despite robust growth in publications, structural isolation persists in emerging high-productivity regions, necessitating multinational collaboration for future trials. Ultimately, harnessing targeted neuroplasticity and adaptive technologies will drive sustained functional neurorestoration and improve long-term patient outcomes.