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Published on: July 7, 2023
Scientific and Technological Developments in Brain-Computer Interfaces: A Dual Bibliometric Analysis of Articles and
Junhui Wang1, Yakun Yuan1, Hang Xu1
1Institute of Medical Information, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 3 Yabao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, CN.
Background:
Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is undergoing rapid translation from laboratory research to clinical applications, heralding a fundamental restructuring of human-machine relationships with profound societal implications. Existing bibliometric analyses of this domain have exclusively relied on scholarly article databases, critically overlooking patent data that is essential for capturing the full spectrum of technological innovation in this highly translational field.
Objective:
This study aims to investigate the overall scientific and technological trajectories, key research drivers (journals, institutions, countries, and funding agencies), as well as research topics and trends in the BCI field through a comprehensive analysis of scientific and technical literature (articles and patents).
Methods:
BCI-related articles (11,346) and granted patents (1,551) published from 2015 to 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science (WOS) and the incoPat database, respectively. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, Microsoft Excel and InCites were used to summarize bibliometric features. Additionally, the Disruptive Index was calculated to characterize the developmental trajectory of scientific and technological advancements in BCI field.
Results:
The number of BCI articles and patents has been continuously increasing over the past decade. JOURNAL OF NEURAL ENGINEERING published the largest number of BCI articles. The Chinese Academy of Sciences ranked first in article output, while the University of California System achieved the greatest citation impact; Tianjin University from China led in patent filings. At the country level, China dominated article output and patent filings, whereas the United States attained the highest article citation impact and the most extensive international patent portfolios. The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) was the most prolific funding agency for BCI articles. Disruptive Index analysis revealed that BCI scientific research (article-based) maintained sustained growth in disruptiveness, whereas technological development (patent-based) demonstrated a pattern of fluctuation rather than consistent growth during the observation period. Five major research topics were identified, with Neural Interfaces and Motor Control attracting the greatest attention. In parallel, the leading technology categories were computer input/output interface devices (IPC: G06F3) and diagnostic measurement and human identification (IPC: A61B5). Citation analysis revealed an average knowledge transfer lag of 8.8 years, alongside limited bidirectional article-patent linkages.
Conclusions:
This study reveals a rapidly expanding yet strategically differentiated global BCI landscape dominated by China and the United States, with the former leading in output volume and the latter achieving highest citation impact and international patent portfolios. BCI scientific research maintains active disruptive potential, whereas technological development lacks a commensurate upward trajectory; this asynchrony, compounded by prolonged knowledge transfer lag and weak article-patent linkages, points to translational challenges that require strengthened mechanisms for converting scientific discovery into technical innovations.
