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RESEARCH PAPER
Non-pharmacological interventions for gait rehabilitation in children with neurodisability – A bibliometric and visualization analysis
1
Department of Physical Culture, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, Poland
Corresponding author
hongli yu
Department of Physical Culture, University of Physical Education and Sport, Gdańsk, Poland
Department of Physical Culture, University of Physical Education and Sport, Gdańsk, Poland
KEYWORDS
gaitphysical therapyDown syndromecerebral palsybibliometric analysisnon-pharmacological interventionsneurodisability
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction and objective:
Gait impairments significantly impact the daily active participation and quality of life in children with neurodisabilities. Non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) have demonstrated positive outcomes in gait rehabilitation, although comprehensive analyses that map the global research landscape in this domain are limited. The aim of the bibliometric review is to systematically explore and visualize global research trends, identify hotspots, and highlight emerging themes related to NPIs for gait rehabilitation in children with neurodisability. The literature coverage spans 1993–2024.
Review methods:
Literature was collected from the Web of Science Core Collection using the keywords “cerebral palsy,” “rehabilitation,” and “gait,” and was systematically analyzed.
Brief description of the state of knowledge:
A total of 455 relevant documents were included. The number of studies has steadily increased from 1993 to 2024 in this field. The United States leads in terms of publication volume and cumulative citations, with Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology published the highest number of papers in this area. Emerging technologies such as exoskeletons, virtual reality and robot-assisted gait training have become research hotspots.
Results:
The findings of the study provide researchers and clinicians with a clear, objective understanding of the current state and future directions in this important area of research.
Summary:
The study visually represented research trends on the NPIs in gait rehabilitation for children with neurodisability, revealed emerging patterns of research and areas of focus.
Gait impairments significantly impact the daily active participation and quality of life in children with neurodisabilities. Non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) have demonstrated positive outcomes in gait rehabilitation, although comprehensive analyses that map the global research landscape in this domain are limited. The aim of the bibliometric review is to systematically explore and visualize global research trends, identify hotspots, and highlight emerging themes related to NPIs for gait rehabilitation in children with neurodisability. The literature coverage spans 1993–2024.
Review methods:
Literature was collected from the Web of Science Core Collection using the keywords “cerebral palsy,” “rehabilitation,” and “gait,” and was systematically analyzed.
Brief description of the state of knowledge:
A total of 455 relevant documents were included. The number of studies has steadily increased from 1993 to 2024 in this field. The United States leads in terms of publication volume and cumulative citations, with Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology published the highest number of papers in this area. Emerging technologies such as exoskeletons, virtual reality and robot-assisted gait training have become research hotspots.
Results:
The findings of the study provide researchers and clinicians with a clear, objective understanding of the current state and future directions in this important area of research.
Summary:
The study visually represented research trends on the NPIs in gait rehabilitation for children with neurodisability, revealed emerging patterns of research and areas of focus.
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