Comprehensive bibliometric analysis of transcranial magnetic stimulation-based depression treatment from 2003 to 2022: Research hotspots and trends.

Background: Depression has become a global public health problem. In recent years, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has gained considerable attention as a non-invasive treatment for depression.

Aim: To investigate the research hotspots and trends in the field of TMS-based depression treatment from a bibliometric perspective.

Methods: Using the Web of Science Core Collection, articles published between 2003 and 2022 on TMS-based depression treatment were retrieved from the science citation index expanded. The publication trends and research hotspots were analyzed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the bibliometric online analysis platform. Regression analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2021 to predict publication growth trends.

Results: We identified a total of 702 articles on TMS-based depression treatment with a predominance of clinical studies. Analysis of collaborative networks showed that the United States, the University of Toronto, and Daskalakis ZJ were identified as the most impactful country, institution, and researcher, respectively. In keyword burst analysis, it was found that theta burst stimulation (TBS), functional connectivity, and frequency were the most recent research hotspots.

Conclusion: TMS provides a novel therapeutic option for patients with treatment-resistant depression. Neuroimaging technology enables more precise TMS treatment, while the novel TMS modality, TBS, enhances both therapeutic efficacy and patient experience in TMS-based depression treatment. The integration of neuroimaging techniques with TBS represents a promising research direction for advancing TMS-based depression treatment. This study presents systematic information and recommendations to guide future research on TMS-based depression treatment.