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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neurorehabilitation
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1502657

Bibliometric and visual analysis in the field of electroacupuncture's analgesia and regulation on negative emotion from 2014 to 2024

Provisionally accepted
XuBo Huang XuBo Huang 1Jiajie Gao Jiajie Gao 1,2Yuxin Ding Yuxin Ding 1Jiali Wang Jiali Wang 1Junfan Fang Junfan Fang 1,3Jianqiao Fang Jianqiao Fang 1,3Junying Du Junying Du 1,3*
  • 1 The Third School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University, Hangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
  • 2 Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
  • 3 Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This bibliometric study systematically analyzes the research landscape of electroacupuncture (EA) focusing on its applications in pain relief and emotional regulation from 2014 to 2024. Using the Web of Science Core Collection as the primary data source, we identified 537 articles related to EA's therapeutic effects. The analysis, conducted with VOSviewer and CiteSpace, highlights a significant upward trend in research output, with a marked increase in publications from 2019 onwards. China emerged as the leading contributor, accounting for over 60% of the total research output, followed by the United States and South Korea. Key institutions, such as Zhejiang Chinese Medical University and Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, have made substantial contributions, emphasizing the importance of traditional Chinese medicine in this research area. The study identifies major research themes including the modulation of neurotransmitter systems, the role of endogenous opioids, and the impact of EA on chronic pain and mood disorders. Collaborative networks between countries and institutions are mapped, revealing the centrality of Chinese and American research partnerships. This comprehensive analysis not only outlines the current state of EA research but also identifies gaps and opportunities for future studies, particularly in understanding the mechanistic pathways of EA and its integration into mainstream medical practices. The findings provide a roadmap for enhancing the therapeutic applications of EA and underscore the potential of EA in managing complex conditions involving both physical and emotional components.

    Keywords: Electroacupuncture, Analgesia, emotional regulation, Chronic Pain, bibliometric analysis

    Received: 27 Sep 2024; Accepted: 24 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Huang, Gao, Ding, Wang, Fang, Fang and Du. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Junying Du, The Third School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University, Hangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.