Global research trends on the links between glymphatic system and cognition: A bibliometric analysis (2009–2023)

Since an increasing number of studies on glymphatic system (GS) have been published, this study aimed to evaluate the research trends, hotspots, and frontiers of GS in cognition. Publications from the Web of Science Core Collection database from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2023 were screened. The analysis of annual publications, countries/regions, institutions, journals, authors, co-cited journals, co-cited authors, and keywords was conducted using CiteSpace and VOSviewer, the hotspots and major findings were summarized. In addition, ArcGIS software was used to display the number of publications by countries/regions. Six hundred twenty-five publications were included. Overall, the number of publications has been increasing steadily, these were published in 59 countries/regions and 149 institutions. Of these, American institutions had the highest number, and their international influence also ranked first. The journal "Neurology" published the most publications and was considered the most co-cited journal. The article entitled "The glymphatic pathway in neurological disorders" in Lancet neurology had the most citations. The keywords with the highest number of occurrences were "Alzheimer disease" and "small vessel disease," which were regarded as research hotspots. Among 19 emergent terms, "Virchow robin spaces," "vascular dementia," and "autosomal dominant arteriopathy" were the first, and "white matter lesions" were the strongest. This bibliometric analysis reveals the rapid growth and evolving landscape of research on the GS in cognitive function. However, there remain significant knowledge gaps and methodological challenges that must be addressed to fully elucidate the mechanisms and implications of GS in cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration.