The Evolution of Cognitive Impairment and Wellbeing Research: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Highlights What are the main findings? This study found that research on cognitive impairment and well-being has developed a dual-core knowledge structure centered on caregiver well-being and the psychosocial well-being of people with cognitive impairment, with non-pharmacological interventions, long-term care contexts, and methodological research serving as key connecting themes. Collaboration networks showed a markedly uneven structure, with the United States acting as a scale hub, the United Kingdom functioning as a bridging hub, and China displaying a high-output but relatively low-connectivity pattern. What are the implications of the main findings? Research on cognitive impairment is shifting from a disease-oriented perspective toward a well-being-oriented approach, with caregiver support, non-pharmacological interventions, and technology-enabled strategies likely to become major future directions. Future research should strengthen economic analyses, global equity perspectives, and evidence generation in low- and middle-income countries to address major gaps in the current knowledge base. Abstract Background/Objectives: Cognitive impairment and well-being have become increasingly connected in aging research, yet the intellectual structure, collaboration patterns, and thematic evolution of this interdisciplinary field remain insufficiently mapped. This study aimed to provide a bibliometric overview of research on cognitive impairment and well-being. Methods: A total of 1355 publications published between 1985 and 2026 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. Bibliometric analyses were conducted using VOSviewer and CiteSpace to examine publication trends, journal distribution, collaboration networks, disciplinary evolution, keyword clusters, burst keywords, and document co-citation patterns. Results: The field showed a clear pattern of accelerated growth, especially during the past decade. The knowledge structure was organized around two core themes: caregiver well-being and the psychosocial well-being of people with cognitive impairment. Non-pharmacological interventions, long-term care contexts, and methodological research formed connecting clusters around these themes. Caregiver burden emerged as the earliest major research line and has recently moved toward evidence-based intervention development. Non-pharmacological interventions showed a three-stage evolution, from single-modality explorations such as music therapy, to meta-analysis-driven evidence synthesis, and then to technology-enabled approaches such as virtual reality. Collaboration network analysis showed that the USA acted as a scale hub, the United Kingdom as a bridging hub, and China as a high-output but low-connectivity participant. Bridging authors, including Orrell and Bennett, occupied structural hole positions. Conclusions: This study provides a four-decade knowledge map of cognitive impairment and well-being research and offers a reference framework for theoretical integration and future research planning.