Global trends in Alzheimer's disease randomized controlled trials: a bibliometric analysis.

UNLABELLED: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia worldwide, creating substantial clinical and socioeconomic burdens. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) provide the highest level of evidence to evaluate interventions, yet global publication trends and thematic evolution have not been systematically analyzed.

OBJECTIVE

As far as we are aware, there has been no bibliometric analysis that has thoroughly assessed RCTs in AD, despite their pivotal influence on the development of treatment and prevention strategies. Therefore, in this study, we conducted a bibliometric mapping analysis of global RCTs on AD.

METHODS

A bibliometric analysis of human RCTs on AD from September 2010 to September 2025 was conducted using PubMed and Web of Science. VOSviewer was employed for keyword co-occurrence, co-authorship mapping, and co-citation analyses to identify research themes, collaborations, and temporal trends.

RESULTS

A total of 4,482 RCTs were identified, revealing five main themes: pharmacological interventions, lifestyle and prevention strategies, pathophysiological mechanisms, cognitive and behavioral interventions, and clinical trial methodology. After 2015, focus shifted from traditional pharmacology to multidomain, prevention-oriented, and precision-driven approaches. Emerging topics included digital health, gut microbiome, and machine learning. Collaboration networks highlighted the dominance of the US and Europe, with rapid growth in Asia and emerging regions.

CONCLUSION

Findings indicate a paradigm shift in AD RCTs toward integrative, technology-enabled designs, emphasizing both pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies. These trends can guide future global research priorities and intervention development.