A Bibliometric Analysis of Mental Training in Stroke Patients

Background: Mental training has been studied extensively. Nevertheless, there are few reviews about mental training in stroke patients. Purpose: The aim of this research was to map trends and developments of important phrases and sources about mental training in stroke patients in order to find possible research prospects. Research method: This study used bibliometric analyses based on Scopus data, in June 2024. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the following keywords: (stroke OR cerebrovascular accident AND mindfulness OR mindful* OR acceptance OR mental practice OR mental training OR mental imagery OR meditation). The bibliometric analysis was performed using VOSviewer and the R package to display data from publications, countries, and keywords. Results: The final literature search generated a list of 1 547 studies published between 1968 to 2024. The number of publications has increased significantly in the last 30 years. The majority of the authors come from Western countries. The most relevant source is the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease. Research areas were divided into three thematic groups: (1) the importance of large clinical studies and patient attitudes, (2) research articles commonly conducted in humans, and (3) clinical research as the primary type of research and rehabilitation as treatment after stroke. Conclusion: Publications related to mental training in stroke patients are still rare. Our researched identified several themes for future research, including the psychological aspects of mental practice, caregivers, survivors, imagery, and mindfulness.