A dual-database bibliometric analysis of post-COVID-19 condition and cognitive dysfunction (2021–2025)

Abstract

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has posed a substantial global health challenge. Cognitive dysfunction is a prevalent and disabling manifestation of post-COVID-19 condition (PCC). This study aims to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research on PCC and cognitive dysfunction. Methods Publications on PCC and cognitive dysfunction published between 2021 and 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and Scopus. After screening according to inclusion criteria, Bibliometrix (R package), VOSviewer, and CiteSpace were employed for bibliometric and visualization analysis. Results 746 publications from the WoSCC and 1,117 publications from Scopus were included. Over the past 5 years, the number of publications on PCC-related cognitive dysfunction has exhibited a gradual upward trend. The United States showed the highest publication output, while the University of London demonstrated the highest number of publications among institutions in this network. The Journal of Clinical Medicine showed prominent publication and citation-related indicators in this field. Keyword analysis revealed three primary theme domains, including psychological factors, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Keyword burst detection revealed that blood–brain barrier, choroid plexus, and endothelial cells represent emerging research frontiers. Conclusion This bibliometric analysis systematically maps the global research landscape and evolving trends in PCC-related cognitive dysfunction. Our findings provide a broad overview of research development, collaboration patterns, and emerging topics, which may help generate hypotheses for future mechanistic investigations and clinical research.