Status and trends in transcranial magnetic stimulation research: a bibliometric analysis.

Background: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), as a rapidly advancing non-invasive brain stimulation technique, has demonstrated reliable therapeutic efficacy and significant potential in brain function assessment and research. However, comprehensive bibliometric analyses of the overall TMS field remain limited. Therefore, this study conducts a systematic analysis of TMS-related literature from 2004 to 2023, aiming to facilitate further advancements in TMS research and development. Methods: We retrieved TMS-related literature from 2004 to 2023 in the Web of Science Core Collection. Using CiteSpace and R language, we constructed network visualizations to illustrate annual publication outputs and journal distributions, demonstrate co-occurrence and collaboration patterns among authors, countries, and institutions, and establish keyword co-occurrence and reference co-citation analyses. Results: Our analysis incorporated 6,278 TMS-related articles. Despite fluctuations, the publication output demonstrated an overall upward trend over the 20-year period. Daskalakis Z.J. emerged as the most prolific author, while the United States and Harvard University were identified as the leading contributing country and institution, respectively. Conclusion: Research related to TMS has been increasing annually and is a developing field. The United States leaded the way, while Harvard University was the most active institution. Daskalakis Z.J. (Canada) was the most prolific author. The most influential journals included