Virtual reality and dementia: A bibliometric analysis

Background and objective: Some studies have shown that the Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool for the diagnosis, treatment and cognitive improvement in people with dementia. The objective was to make a bibliometric analysis to reflect on VR and dementia research from 1998 until 2018, identifying its intellectual structure and emerging trends. Methods: Data encompassing 356 documents and 19,238 citations collated between 1998 and 2018 from Web-of-Science and Scopus databases was analyzed through CiteSpace. Results: There is an increasing growth of VR research as an instrument of diagnosis and intervention in dementia. Both databases show differences in terms of scope, the volume of data, and coverage policies. The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease is the top source. Giuseppe Riva is the most productive author. The USA and the UK are leading contributors. There is a dynamic shift in the focus of research over time and some new topics are now catching the attention of researchers. The results showed the relevance of VR in improving the health of patients with dementia and they found that the use of VR in people with dementia had a precious applicability, fundamentally, as a tool in diagnosis, treatment, cognitive improvement, or rehabilitation. Conclusion: The co-citation and co-authorship network analysis, the identification of critical papers, and the development of new emerging tendencies highlights the priorities in this field, pointing to new opportunities to guide researchers. (C) 2020 Asociacion Universitaria de Zaragoza para el Progreso de la Psiquiatria y la Salud Mental. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.