Table 6_Global research dynamics in the Tai Chi and insomnia: a bibliometric study from 2006 to 2025.xlsx

ObjectiveTai Chi has demonstrated beneficial effects in managing insomnia. However, no bibliometric analysis has systematically examined the relationship between Tai Chi and insomnia. This study aims to quantitatively evaluate the global research landscape and emerging trends related to “Tai Chi and insomnia” from 2006 to 2025 using bibliometric methods, thereby offering evidence-based insights and guidance for future basic and clinical research.
MethodsA bibliometric analysis was conducted using data retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC)) and Scopus databases for the period 2006–2025. The data were processed and visualized using Bibliometrix (R software), VOSviewer, and CiteSpace.
ResultsA total of 281 valid articles from the WoSCC and 489 from Scopus were included. The number of publications on Tai Chi and insomnia has steadily increased over the past two decades. China and the United States are the primary contributors to research in this field, forming an international collaboration network centered around the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Hong Kong. Among them, Professor Michael R. Irwin from UCLA is the most prolific author and maintains the widest collaborative network in this domain. Frontiers in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine Reviews show the highest publication volumes, whereas Sleep ranks first in citation frequency and functions as a key hub for academic collaboration. Using cluster analysis, keyword frequency assessment, co-word mapping, and thematic evolution analysis, we identified several prominent research hotspots. These hotspots primarily focus on three areas: the clinical application and efficacy evaluation of Tai Chi in specific patient populations with sleep disorders, mechanistic and evidence-based investigations of Tai Chi interventions for insomnia, and comparative or integrative studies of Tai Chi with other non-pharmacological treatments for insomnia.
ConclusionThe therapeutic potential of Tai Chi for insomnia has garnered growing global interest and is poised to become a major focus in insomnia management. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the field’s current status and key research trends, offering valuable direction for future studies.

研究目的：太极拳（Tai Chi）已被证实对失眠管理具有积极作用。然而，目前尚无文献计量分析（bibliometric analysis）系统探讨太极拳与失眠之间的关联。本研究旨在采用文献计量方法，对2006年至2025年间与“太极拳与失眠”相关的全球研究现状与新兴趋势进行定量评估，以期为未来的基础与临床研究提供循证见解与指导。
研究方法：本研究基于2006-2025年从科学引文索引核心合集（Web of Science Core Collection, WoSCC）与斯高帕斯数据库（Scopus）中检索获取的数据，开展文献计量分析。研究采用Bibliometrix（R语言软件）、VOSviewer及CiteSpace对数据进行处理与可视化。
研究结果：最终纳入科学引文索引核心合集中的有效文献共281篇，斯高帕斯数据库中489篇。近二十年来，太极拳与失眠相关的发表文献数量呈稳步增长趋势。中国与美国是该领域研究的主要贡献者，形成了以加利福尼亚大学洛杉矶分校（University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA）与香港大学（University of Hong Kong）为核心的国际合作网络。其中，来自UCLA的迈克尔·R·欧文（Michael R. Irwin）教授是该领域发文量最多的作者，且拥有最广泛的合作网络。《精神病学前沿》（Frontiers in Psychiatry）与《睡眠医学评论》（Sleep Medicine Reviews）的发文量位居前列，而《睡眠》（Sleep）期刊的总被引频次最高，同时也是学术合作的关键枢纽。通过聚类分析、关键词频次评估、共词图谱分析与主题演化分析，本研究识别出多个突出的研究热点，主要集中在三大方向：一是太极拳在特定睡眠障碍患者群体中的临床应用与疗效评估；二是太极拳干预失眠的机制与循证研究；三是太极拳与其他失眠非药物治疗手段的对比或整合研究。
研究结论：太极拳用于失眠治疗的潜力已获得全球范围内日益增长的关注，并有望成为失眠管理领域的核心研究方向。本研究全面综述了该领域的当前现状与关键研究趋势，可为未来研究提供有价值的指导方向。