Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40255891›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in neurology2025

Two decades of vagus nerve stimulation for stroke: a bibliometric analysis.

Jiao Deng, Zhen Yang, Qing Mei Wang, Zhi Gang Lv

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Jiao DengDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Changzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changzhou, China.
Zhen YangPhysical Activity, Sports & Health Research Group, Faculty of Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Qing Mei WangStroke Biological Recovery Laboratory, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, The Teaching Affiliate of Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
Zhi Gang LvDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Changzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changzhou, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Stroke is a major global health concern, imposing significant medical and social burdens. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), an emerging neuromodulation technology, has shown potential in the treatment of stroke. This bibliometric analysis aims to explore the knowledge structure and research trends in the field of VNS for stroke from 2004 to 2024. Methods: Publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to conduct bibliometric analyses, including author productivity, institutional contributions, and emerging research themes etc. Results: A total of 191 eligible publications were analysed. Kilgard, M. P., and Hays, S. A. were the most prolific authors, each contributing 26 publications. The USA (96 publications), China (69 publications), and Scotland (17 publications) were the most prolific countries. The University of Texas at Dallas (33 publications) was the most prolific institution, followed by Chongqing Medical University (19 publications) and the University of Glasgow (15 publications). Future research is expected to focus on: (1) neurophysiological mechanisms of VNS in stroke recovery; (2) synergistic effects of VNS with other rehabilitation therapies; (3) comparative efficacy of non-invasive transauricular VNS versus invasive VNS; (4) safety and effectiveness of VNS for post-stroke functional impairments beyond motor rehabilitation; and (5) optimisation of VNS parameters for stroke treatment. Conclusion: The field of VNS for stroke has experienced steady growth over the past two decades. This bibliometric analysis provides valuable insights to guide future research, clinical applications, and policy developments.

Indexed as

bibliometric analysisknowledge maprehabilitationstrokeVNS

Identifiers

PMID40255891
PMCPMC12006007

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.