Mapping the Evolution of Neuroregulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scientometric Study

Abstract

Introduction: This study investigates the evolving knowledge structure of neuromodulation research in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), aiming to identify core themes, influential works, and collaborative dynamics through integrated bibliometric and content analysis. 

Methods: A dataset of 295 ASD-related neuromodulation articles was extracted from Scopus. VOSviewer was employed to conduct co-authorship, co-citation, and keyword co-occurrence analyses.

Results: Publication output has shown sustained growth, peaking after 2020. While the United States leads in productivity and citation influence, emerging contributors such as China and Brazil demonstrate expanding engagement, albeit with relatively lower normalized citation scores. Keyword clustering revealed four converging yet distinct research streams: (1) Neuromodulation Techniques in Autism Spectrum Disorder; (2)Neurodevelopmental Mechanisms and Safety in Brain Stimulation; (3)Clinical Applications and Neuropsychiatric Disorders; (4)Comorbidities and Autonomic Nervous System Modulation. Co-authorship analysis reflects increasingly globalized collaboration, though regional clusters persist. Highly cited works focus on safety, cognitive enhancement, and methodological integration, while high-link-strength papers emphasize empirical validation of neuromodulatory effects in ASD.

Conclusion: The field is maturing toward a multidimensional landscape, balancing clinical translation with mechanistic and methodological depth. Future research may benefit from closer interdisciplinary integration and improved international dissemination, particularly among underrepresented regions and thematic areas.