Trends, Hotspots, and Future Directions of Research on Pain in Dystonia: A Bibliometric Analysis.

[INTRODUCTION] Pain in dystonia is closely related neurological disorders, with significant impact on patients' quality of life. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis to examine the development trends, research hotspots, and future directions in the field of pain in dystonia.

[METHODS] Publications from 1981 to 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Bibliometric data were analyzed using the R package "Bibliometrix," VOSviewer, and CiteSpace.

[RESULTS] A total of 1225 articles were included in this study. The USA had the highest publication volume (329), followed by Germany (103) and Italy (87). The most productive institution was the University of London with 123 publications. Movement Disorders was one of the most influential journals in its field. Key authors in the field included Jankovic Joseph, Marinus Johan, and Van Hilten Jacobus J. The high-frequency keywords were "double-blind," "efficacy," and "spasmodic torticollis." Keywords burst analysis showed emerging interests in "blepharospasm," "botulinum neurotoxin," "quality of life," "diagnosis," "management," and "neurotoxin."

[CONCLUSION] This bibliometric study quantitatively analyzed research trends in pain in dystonia, identifying key contributors, hotspots, and emerging trends. Keywords result reflected the growing interest in improving patient outcomes through better diagnostic techniques and therapeutic interventions aimed at alleviating symptoms and enhancing the quality of life for individuals affected by this condition.