신체활동 중재를 통한 신경퇴행성 질환 노인의 인지 기능 개선 연구 동향: CiteSpace 기반 문헌계량 시각화 분석

초록

With the accelerating global aging process, neurodegenerative diseases have become a major public health issue affecting cognitive function and quality of life in older adults. As a safe and low-cost non-pharmacological intervention, physical activity has garnered increasing academic attention for its potential to improve cognitive outcomes. This study employed CiteSpace 6.3R1 to conduct a bibliometric analysis of relevant research trends and hotspots. A total of 402 English-language publications related to physical activity interventions for cognitive function in older adults with neurodegenerative diseases, published between January 1, 2014 and March 28, 2025, were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and analyzed. The results showed a steady increase in publication volume over time. High-frequency keywords such as “Alzheimer’s disease”, “physical activity”, “older adults”, and “mild cognitive impairment” represented central themes, while high-centrality keywords like “balance”, “age”, and “association” suggested a growing interest in the mechanisms and mediating variables underlying intervention effects. Fourteen keyword clusters were identified, reflecting topics including exercise intention, non-pharmacological strategies, chronic disease backgrounds, mediation models, and neural regulation. Timeline and burst detection analyses revealed an evolving research focus, transitioning from early emphasis on cognitive assessments to recent attention on “executive function”, “resistance exercise”, and “cardiorespiratory fitness”. Moreover, emerging clusters such as “neuronal activity” and “autophagy” indicated a shift toward mechanism-oriented exploration. Overall, the field is advancing toward greater depth and sophistication, with increasing emphasis on individualized strategies and empirical validation of mechanisms. Future studies are encouraged to incorporate multimodal assessments and develop targeted, evidence-based intervention frameworks.

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