Research on transcranial magnetic stimulation for stroke rehabilitation: a visual analysis based on CiteSpace

This study aimed to analyze recent research and emerging trends in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for stroke rehabilitation. We employed bibliometric methods to retrieve relevant Chinese and English literature on TMS for stroke rehabilitation from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) respectively, including publications up to April 10, 2025. CiteSpace 6.4.R1 was utilized to generate knowledge maps, focusing on authors, institutions, countries, and keywords. We identified 1301 publications since the inception of the database through April 10, 2025, including 797 articles in Chinese and 504 articles in English. The number of articles available in both languages increased over time. Fudan University and University of Manchester were the institutions with the most outputs. Co-occurrence and clustering keyword analyses revealed similarities between Chinese and English terms, with key research areas include the role of TMS in motor cortex areas, post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI), and dysphagia, and TMS has been integrated with other therapeutic approaches for stroke patients. TMS, a noninvasive brain stimulation technique, has been applied to improve stroke patients' functional outcomes and daily living skills. Future investigations should integrate TMS with cutting-edge technologies including artificial intelligence and brain‒computer interfaces to uncover its full potential in restoring neural function in stroke survivors.