Mapping the research landscape on chronic pain and electroencephalography (EEG): a bibliometric analysis

Chronic pain is a complex and debilitating condition that affects an estimated 1.5 billion individuals worldwide. The impact of chronic pain extends beyond the individual, with significant socioeconomic consequences, including health care costs and decreased performance. Today, electroencephalography (EEG) has become a valuable non-invasive tool in the study of chronic pain, allowing researchers to measure and analyse the brain’s electrical activity in response to pain stimuli. Thus, this bibliometric analysis evaluated the literature on chronic pain and EEG, identified main themes, authors, institutions, author keywords, and publications in the field and assessed the research impact and influence in this study area from 1972 to 2023. First, datasets were obtained from Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus, then analysed using ScientoPy and VOSviewer software. There has been a steady increase in the literature on chronic pain and EEG since 1972. In 2021, a significant number of publications (n = 69) were in WoS. Furthermore, “Neuroscience & Neurology” was the most popular subject matter, with 388 publications. Meanwhile, the top five author keywords associated with this subject were “chronic pain”, “EEG”, “fibromyalgia”, “spinal cord injury”, and “neurofeedback”. The term “machine learning” has garnered significant attention in recent years, particularly in 2022 and 2023. In summary, the trend in chronic pain and EEG research has consistently shown a rise in scholarly interest. These study findings can guide future research efforts, policy-making, and practical measures in diagnosing and managing chronic pain, which can improve patients' well-being and quality of life.