Research Trends in Frailty and Delirium in Older Adults: A Bibliometric Analysis.
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Health Care, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
- 2Department of Ophthalmology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
- 3Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
- 4Nursing Department, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Frailty and delirium represent critical geriatric syndromes with profound implications for older adults' health outcomes. This study aimed to quantitatively map global research trends and thematic developments in frailty and delirium among older adults through a bibliometric approach. Methods: A literature search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection up to 11 May 2026. Bibliometric analyses were performed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R package "bibliometrix". Results: The analysis included 911 publications published between January 2006 and May 2026, involving 6805 authors from 337 journals. The USA dominated research output with 185 articles (20.3%) and the highest total citations (8507). Harvard University led institutional contributions (139 articles), while Age and Ageing emerged as the most influential journal (h-index = 21). Bellelli Giuseppe was the most productive and impactful author. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified six thematic clusters: adverse outcomes and comprehensive geriatric assessment, cognitive decline and neuropsychiatric disorders, perioperative and intensive care settings, postoperative delirium and geriatric complications, prediction and validation tools, and epidemiology and management-related themes. Temporal keyword bursts revealed recent emphases on "anesthesia" (2022-2026) and "cardiac surgery" (2023-2024). Conclusions: This bibliometric analysis demonstrated a sustained increase and diversification in research on frailty and delirium in older adults over the past two decades. The field has evolved from foundational clinical and epidemiological studies to multidisciplinary, outcome-oriented research, with growing attention to perioperative care and comprehensive assessment.
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BibTeX
@article{du2026research,
title = {{Research Trends in Frailty and Delirium in Older Adults: A Bibliometric Analysis.}},
author = {Hongdi Du and Wei Liu and Yafang Zhao and Xiaoxing Lai and Chen Fu and Yan Ma and Dan Han and Jing Li and Xiaopeng Huo},
journal = {Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/healthcare14193141},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42881579},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Research Trends in Frailty and Delirium in Older Adults: A Bibliometric Analysis.
AU - Hongdi Du
AU - Wei Liu
AU - Yafang Zhao
AU - Xiaoxing Lai
AU - Chen Fu
AU - Yan Ma
AU - Dan Han
AU - Jing Li
AU - Xiaopeng Huo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/22
JO - Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
DO - 10.3390/healthcare14193141
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42881579
AB - Background/Objectives: Frailty and delirium represent critical geriatric syndromes with profound implications for older adults' health outcomes. This study aimed to quantitatively map global research trends and thematic developments in frailty and delirium among older adults through a bibliometric approach. Methods: A literature search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection up to 11 May 2026. Bibliometric analyses were performed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R package "bibliometrix". Results: The analysis included 911 publications published between January 2006 and May 2026, involving 6805 authors from 337 journals. The USA dominated research output with 185 articles (20.3%) and the highest total citations (8507). Harvard University led institutional contributions (139 articles), while Age and Ageing emerged as the most influential journal (h-index = 21). Bellelli Giuseppe was the most productive and impactful author. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified six thematic clusters: adverse outcomes and comprehensive geriatric assessment, cognitive decline and neuropsychiatric disorders, perioperative and intensive care settings, postoperative delirium and geriatric complications, prediction and validation tools, and epidemiology and management-related themes. Temporal keyword bursts revealed recent emphases on "anesthesia" (2022-2026) and "cardiac surgery" (2023-2024). Conclusions: This bibliometric analysis demonstrated a sustained increase and diversification in research on frailty and delirium in older adults over the past two decades. The field has evolved from foundational clinical and epidemiological studies to multidisciplinary, outcome-oriented research, with growing attention to perioperative care and comprehensive assessment.
SN - 2227-9032
ER -