Extended reality in acupuncture-related research and practice: A bibliometric analysis

IF 1.4 Q2 Medicine

Advances in integrative medicine Pub Date : 2025-12-01 Epub Date: 2025-10-22 DOI:10.1016/j.aimed.2025.100586

Jing He

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Purpose

In recent years, the application of extended reality (XR) technology in acupuncture-related research and practice has gained increasing popularity. This article aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis in this field.

Methods

Publications between 1996 and 2024 in this field were searched in Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus. Software used for data preprocessing and analysis included Microsoft Excel, RStudio, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer.

Results

A total of 143 articles were selected. Publications in this field were increasing rapidly. The top three countries by publication volume were China, the United States and Canada. The top three most-cited countries were the United States, Belgium and China. The overall cooperation network was loose and mainly dominated by China, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The top three affiliations by publication volume were University of Toronto, Emory University, and Southern Medical University. KU Leuven had the highest total and average citations. The author with the most publications and total citations was Moseley G. The source with the most publications was Frontiers in Neurology, whereas the top cited source was Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. Hatem SM (Front Hum Neurosci, 2016) was the top cited publication with the highest average annual citation rate. The most frequent keywords included “virtual reality”, “acupuncture”, “cognitive behavioral therapy”, “stroke” and “pain”. Keyword clusters mainly focused on three aspects: neurological rehabilitation, mental health and pain management. An isolated sub-cluster existed in mental health cluster with “simulation” as its core keyword.

Conclusion

As a specialized domain, the field is expected to progress by forging a more direct integration of XR with acupuncture and a deeper convergence of basic science and clinical practice, indicating substantial progress in the future.

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针灸相关研究与实践的延伸现实：文献计量学分析

目的近年来，扩展现实（XR）技术在针灸相关研究和实践中的应用越来越受欢迎。本文旨在对这一领域进行文献计量分析。方法检索Web of Science Core Collection和Scopus中1996 ~ 2024年间该领域的论文。用于数据预处理和分析的软件包括Microsoft Excel、RStudio、CiteSpace和VOSviewer。结果共入选文献143篇。这一领域的出版物正在迅速增加。出版数量排名前三的国家分别是中国、美国和加拿大。被引用最多的三个国家是美国、比利时和中国。整体合作网络较为松散，以中、美、英为主。按出版数量排名前三的大学分别是多伦多大学、埃默里大学和南方医科大学。鲁汶大学的总引用量和平均引用量最高。发表文章和总被引次数最多的作者是Moseley G.发表文章最多的来源是Frontiers in Neurology，而被引次数最多的来源是Frontiers in Human Neuroscience。《Hatem SM》（Front Hum Neurosci, 2016）是被引次数最多的出版物，年平均被引率最高。最常见的关键词包括“虚拟现实”、“针灸”、“认知行为疗法”、“中风”和“疼痛”。关键词聚类主要集中在神经康复、心理健康和疼痛管理三个方面。心理健康集群中存在一个以“模拟”为核心关键词的孤立子集群。结论作为一个专业领域，该领域有望进一步发展，使其与针灸的结合更加直接，基础科学与临床实践的融合更加深入，未来将取得实质性进展。

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

Advances in integrative medicine INTEGRATIVE & COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE-

CiteScore

3.20

自引率

11.80%

发文量

审稿时长

15 weeks

期刊介绍： Advances in Integrative Medicine (AIMED) is an international peer-reviewed, evidence-based research and review journal that is multi-disciplinary within the fields of Integrative and Complementary Medicine. The journal focuses on rigorous quantitative and qualitative research including systematic reviews, clinical trials and surveys, whilst also welcoming medical hypotheses and clinically-relevant articles and case studies disclosing practical learning tools for the consulting practitioner. By promoting research and practice excellence in the field, and cross collaboration between relevant practitioner groups and associations, the journal aims to advance the practice of IM, identify areas for future research, and improve patient health outcomes. International networking is encouraged through clinical innovation, the establishment of best practice and by providing opportunities for cooperation between organisations and communities.