Emerging frontiers and thematic shifts in neuromodulation for diabetic peripheral neuropathy: a bibliometric analysis

Introduction Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) ranks among the most prevalent complications of diabetes. Neuromodulatory interventions such as spinal cord stimulation have emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for DPN. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis to visualize the global research landscape and evolutionary trends of neuromodulation therapies for DPN. Methods All original articles and reviews on DPN neuromodulation were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and Scopus databases. Bibliographic data (citations, countries, institutions, journals, authors, and keywords) were processed using R, CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Microsoft Excel. Results The United States and Maastricht University lead publication outputs in this field. Joosten EA has the largest number of publications (15 articles, 617 citations), while De Vos CC achieves the highest average citation per paper. Journal dual-map overlay reveals four main citation streams: “Neurology, Sports & Ophthalmology” sources feed into “Health, Nursing & Medicine”, “Molecular Biology & Genetics”, and “Psychology, Education & Social Sciences”. Journals categorized under “Medicine, Medical & Clinical” mainly cite publications from “Health, Nursing & Medicine ” domain. Thematic evolution analysis suggests future directions in high-level clinical evidence and brain-targeted neuromodulation techniques (such as motor cortex stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation) as priority areas. Conclusion This comprehensive bibliometric survey delineates the intellectual landscape of DPN neuromodulation and points to high-level clinical evidence and brain stimulation techniques as potential emerging research directions.