Rehabilitation Is the Main Topic in Virtual and Augmented Reality and Physical Activity Research: A Bibliometric Analysis

Researchers' interest in finding practical applications for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies has increased as new devices have become cheaper and more accessible, being used in entertainment, healthcare, and rehabilitation fields, among others. This study aims to provide an overview of the current state of scientific literature related to VR, AR, and physical activity (PA). A bibliometric analysis of studies published between 1994 and 2022 was conducted using The Web of Science (WoS), applying the traditional bibliometric laws and using the VOSviewer software for data and metadata processing. The results revealed an exponential increase in scientific production between 2009 and 2021 (R-2 = 94%). The United States (USA) was the country/region with the most relevant co-authorship networks (72 papers); the most prolific author was Kerstin Witte, and the most prominent was Richard Kulpa. The most productive journal's core was composed of high-impact and open access journals. A great thematic diversity was found according to the most used keywords by the co-authors, highlighting concepts such as rehabilitation, cognition, training, and obesity. Then, the research related to this topic is in an exponential development phase, with great interest in the rehabilitation and sports sciences fields.

Automated summary

As VR and AR technologies have become cheaper and more accessible, researchers have shown increased interest in finding practical applications in various fields such as entertainment, healthcare, and rehabilitation. This study provides an overview of the scientific literature on VR, AR, and physical activity (PA). A bibliometric analysis of studies published between 1994 and 2022 was conducted and revealed an exponential increase in scientific production. The results identify the United States as the leading country in co-authorship networks, with Kerstin Witte as the most prolific author and Richard Kulpa as the most prominent. The research shows great thematic diversity, with a focus on concepts such as rehabilitation, cognition, training, and obesity.