Multimodal applications combining electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) are widely used in cognitive neuroscience and have progressively been applied to clinical applications, such as the joint diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and pediatric epilepsy. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of EEG-fNIRS synchronization techniques over the past 20 years. The aim was to clarify their diagnostic and therapeutic value in clinical applications, particularly in the neurological system, and to guide future research and development trends.
Methods
This study utilized the Web of Science Core Collection database to analyze documents published between January 1, 2005, and May 13, 2024. CiteSpace and VOSviewer were employed for visual analyses of co-author relationships, keywords, citation patterns, and journal distributions. By overlaying dual-map diagrams and analyzing annual publication trends, the study identified research hotspots, development trends, and the evolution of EEG-fNIRS technology.
Results
A total of 645 articles and reviews from 55 countries were analyzed. The USA contributed the most publications. The team led by Michela Balconi at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart published the highest number of papers. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience had the greatest number of publications, while NeuroImage had the highest citation impact. Recent research has primarily focused on the application of neuroimaging and neurophysiological techniques (e.g., EEG, fNIRS, functional magnetic resonance imaging), brain activation, and brain-computer interface.
Conclusions
Undoubtedly, EEG-fNIRS multimodal technology will become an important imaging technique for disease diagnosis in clinical settings, useful for guiding treatment. The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of global publications using bibliometric methods and visualization tools to uncover changes and developments in the field over recent decades. Optically synchronized multimodal fusion is valuable as a non-invasive, non-implantable examination in clinical BCI applications involving cross-fertilization of multiple disciplines. The Global Brain Initiative, proposed in 2023, outlines future directions in neurology. Cyberneuroscience is a multidisciplinary clinical collaboration that requires further exploration and mastery. Moving forward, research should prioritize examining the human brain, task analysis, feature extraction, and brain-camera interface challenges. It is essential to adopt a multidisciplinary approach and leverage multi-omics technology to facilitate collaboration among research groups across disciplines. Ultimately, the goal is to identify additional prognostic tools for neurological diseases through both clinical and basic research.
Full text:
https://www.xiahepublishing.com/3067-6150/NSSS-2025-00020
The study was recently published in the Neurosurgical Subspecialties .
Neurosurgical Subspecialties (NSSS) is the official scientific journal of the Department of Neurosurgery at Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. NSSS aims to provide a forum for clinicians and scientists in the field, dedicated to publishing high-quality and peer-reviewed original research, reviews, opinions, commentaries, case reports, and letters across all neurosurgical subspecialties. These include but are not limited to traumatic brain injury, spinal and spinal cord neurosurgery, cerebrovascular disease, stereotactic radiosurgery, neuro-oncology, neurocritical care, neurosurgical nursing, neuroendoscopy, pediatric neurosurgery, peripheral neuropathy, and functional neurosurgery.
