# Hot Topics and Frontiers of Resting-State fMRI in Parkinson's Disease: Research Trends and Paradigm Shifts From a Bibliometric Perspective

## TL;DR

This paper maps the research trends and shifts in resting-state fMRI studies for Parkinson's disease using bibliometric analysis, highlighting key areas and the need for new approaches.

## Contribution

A comprehensive bibliometric analysis of rsfMRI in PD, identifying emerging research frontiers and a recent decline in publication growth.

## Key findings

- China leads in publication and citation counts in rsfMRI research for Parkinson's disease.
- Research frontiers include disease heterogeneity, early detection, and treatment evaluation.
- A decline in publication growth in 2023 suggests a need for a research paradigm shift.

## Abstract

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by motor and nonmotor symptoms, with resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) proving pivotal in identifying neural circuit abnormalities and functional connectivity patterns, paving the way for a more personalized, precision medicine approach to PD diagnosis and treatment.

Methods: Given its significance, this study conducted a bibliometric analysis to systematically map the intellectual landscape of rsfMRI applications in PD research. Relevant publications were sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection database from January 1, 2009, to July 18, 2024, and restricted to English-language articles and review articles. Utilizing VOSviewer and CiteSpace software, the analysis covered publication distributions across countries, institutions, and authors, along with co-citation patterns among co-authors and journals, keyword co-occurrence, and burst detection.

Results: A total of 658 publications from January 1, 2009, to July 18, 2024, were identified, showing a gradual increase in annual publication and citation volume in earlier years. Notably, a decline emerged in 2023, highlighting the need for research paradigm shift to drive further progress. Among 45 countries and 865 institutions, China, led in publication and citation counts at both the institutional and author levels, with neuroscience-related journals playing a key role in advancing this field. Keyword analysis identified emerging research frontiers, including disease heterogeneity, early detection, symptom-specific mechanism exploration, and treatment evaluation.

Conclusions: Results from this bibliometric analysis systematically elucidates the historical development, research progress over the years, and current research hotspots in rsfMRI studies of PD, thereby offering valuable guidance for future research endeavors in this field.