Frontier and hot topics in Magnetoencephalography(MEG) in neurological diseases

Magnetoencephalography (MEG), a non-invasive neuroimaging technique with millisecond temporal resolution and millimeter spatial resolution, is an essential tool for investigating neurological disorders. This study conducted a systematic analysis of 4,040 relevant publications from the Web of Science database (2000–2024) using VOSviewer and CiteSpace to identify research hotspots and trends in MEG applications for neurological disorders over the past 24 years. The analysis revealed a steady annual increase in publications, and showed that the research evolved in three distinct phases: the early period (2000–2004) focused primarily on fundamental MEG principles, the intermediate period (2005–2015) shifted toward MEG signal analysis methods including network analysis, and the recent period (2016–2024) emphasized brain network functional connectivity analysis. Emerging research hotspots converged on the clinical application of analytical methods such as brain functional connectivity, encompassing areas such as the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and preoperative evaluation for epilepsy. This study provided the first comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research hotspots and developmental trends in MEG applications for neurological disorders. These findings provided researchers with a clear understanding of the field’s evolution and current landscape, thereby facilitating the rapid identification of promising research directions.