Global trends and performances of acupuncture research on epilepsy: a bibliometric analysis

IF 2.6 Q2 MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES

Beni-Suef University Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences Pub Date : 2025-09-19 DOI:10.1186/s43088-025-00689-9

Huanhua Wu, Jinhua Hu, Yingtong Lu, Yuanxing Pan, Chun Zhuang, Yingxin Li, Weijian Ye, Bin Guo

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder affecting millions globally, with a significant portion of patients remaining pharmacoresistant. Acupuncture, particularly transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), has gained attention for its potential in epilepsy management. This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global research trends in acupuncture for epilepsy from 2000 to 2024 to assess publication trends, key research themes, influential articles, and research hotspots.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database for articles published between 2000 and 2025. Bibliometrix and VOSviewer were used for bibliometric and thematic analysis, mapping research trends, co-occurrence networks, and thematic evolution.

Results

A steady increase in publications was observed, with notable contributions from China and institutions like Fudan University. Key research themes include vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), electroacupuncture, and neuroinflammation, highlighting the shift toward neuromodulation. Citation impact was highest in journals such as Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Emerging trends point to taVNS and neuroprotection as significant research areas, with clinical studies increasingly focusing on the biological mechanisms behind acupuncture’s anticonvulsant effects.

Conclusions

Acupuncture for epilepsy has grown in global recognition, especially in VNS and electroacupuncture. However, further high-quality clinical trials and standardized protocols are required to establish acupuncture’s efficacy in clinical epilepsy treatment, particularly in pharmacoresistant cases.

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针灸治疗癫痫研究的全球趋势和表现：文献计量学分析

癫痫是一种影响全球数百万人的慢性神经系统疾病，其中很大一部分患者仍然具有耐药性。针灸，特别是经皮耳迷走神经刺激（taVNS），因其在癫痫治疗中的潜力而受到关注。本研究对2000 - 2024年全球针灸治疗癫痫的研究趋势进行综合文献计量分析，评估发表趋势、重点研究主题、影响力文章和研究热点。方法系统检索Web of Science Core Collection （WoSCC）数据库2000 ~ 2025年间发表的论文。使用Bibliometrix和VOSviewer进行文献计量和专题分析，绘制研究趋势、共现网络和专题演变。结果论文发表量稳步增长，其中中国和复旦大学等机构贡献显著。关键的研究主题包括迷走神经刺激（VNS），电针和神经炎症，突出向神经调节的转变。引用影响最高的期刊是《循证补充和替代医学》。随着临床研究越来越多地关注针灸抗惊厥作用背后的生物学机制，新兴趋势表明，taVNS和神经保护是重要的研究领域。结论针刺治疗癫痫已在全球范围内得到越来越多的认可，尤其是VNS和电针。然而，需要进一步的高质量临床试验和标准化方案来确定针灸在临床癫痫治疗中的疗效，特别是在耐药病例中。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Beni-Suef University Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES-

CiteScore

2.60

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Beni-Suef University Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences (BJBAS) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal. This journal welcomes submissions of original research, literature reviews, and editorials in its respected fields of fundamental science, applied science (with a particular focus on the fields of applied nanotechnology and biotechnology), medical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, and engineering. The multidisciplinary aspects of the journal encourage global collaboration between researchers in multiple fields and provide cross-disciplinary dissemination of findings.