Global research trends and emerging frontiers in young-onset stroke: a bibliometric analysis (1996–2026)

Abstract

Objective Young-onset stroke (YOS) has increasing public health relevance. This study mapped global research trends, hotspots, and emerging frontiers in YOS from 1996 to 2026. Methods English articles and reviews from 1996 to 2026 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection, yielding 5,249 records after screening. PubMed was analyzed for external validation, with 2,929 eligible records. bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace were used to analyze publication output, collaboration networks, keywords, bursts, and co-citations. A strict title-field subset evaluated search-strategy sensitivity. Results Publication output increased markedly after 2018. The United States and China were the leading contributors. Major topics included ischemic stroke, risk factors, cardiovascular comorbidity, etiologic evaluation, acute treatment, rehabilitation, and survivorship. Recent bursts indicated growing attention to disease burden, mechanical thrombectomy, medical therapy, stroke survivors, quality of life, fatigue, unmet needs, and machine learning. PubMed validation and strict title-field sensitivity analysis supported the main temporal and thematic patterns. Conclusion YOS research has expanded into a multidimensional field. Future work should prioritize harmonized definitions, multinational data resources, age-specific etiologic and treatment studies, long-term cognitive and psychosocial outcomes, and rehabilitation.