Frailty in Alzheimer's disease: A bibliometric analysis of research hotspots, emerging trends, and knowledge structure.

BackgroundFrailty has emerged as a major public health concern in aging populations, particularly among individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD), where it exacerbates adverse outcomes and signals dementia progression. While research on frailty in AD has grown rapidly, a thorough analysis of key research hotspots and trends remains insufficient.ObjectiveThis study employs bibliometric methods to systematically explore core themes, identify potential frontiers and emerging directions in this field.MethodsOn December 27, 2024, a comprehensive search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database using keywords associated with frailty in AD. Bibliometric and knowledge mapping analyses were carried out using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and R software.ResultsBetween 2005 and 2024, a total of 915 publications on frailty in AD were produced by 5950 researchers from 2084 institutions spanning 70 countries. Recent research in this field predominantly focuses on disciplines such as molecular biology, neuroscience, and pharmacology. Current studies emphasize interventions for frailty in patients with AD and the investigation of underlying pathological mechanisms, particularly concerning nutritional status and the influence of long COVID on frailty in AD. Emerging research themes include intervention strategies, mouse models, effects of long COVID, nutritional factors, mechanistic studies, brain fog, and subjective cognitive decline.ConclusionsThis bibliometric analysis highlights research frontiers on frailty in AD, emphasizing early monitoring and management of frailty are pivotal approaches to decelerate AD progression and improve patient outcomes. These findings offer valuable insights for future research, helping to address critical needs in patient care and disease management.