Bibliometric analysis of research trends of physical activity intervention for autism spectrum disorders

Shimeng Wang; Dandan Chen; Inae Yoon; Sebastian Klich; Aiguo Chen

doi:10.3389/fnhum.2022.926346

Bibliometric analysis of research trends of physical activity intervention for autism spectrum disorders

Front Hum Neurosci. 2022 Aug 12:16:926346. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.926346. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Shimeng Wang^{1

2

3}, Dandan Chen^{1

2

3}, Inae Yoon⁴, Sebastian Klich⁵, Aiguo Chen^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ College of Physical Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
² Institute of Sports, Exercise and Brain, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
³ Chinese-Polish Laboratory of Sport and Brain Science, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
⁴ Graduate School of Education (Department of Pedagogy: Physical Education), Dankook University, Yongin-si, South Korea.
⁵ Department of Paralympic Sport, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, Wrocław, Poland.

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social impairment, restricted interests, and repetitive stereotyped behaviors. At present, its pathogenesis has not been fully understood. Various methods are used for clinical treatment and intervention, among which physical activity (PA) intervention also has an obvious effect. This study has used bibliometric methods and visual analysis methods to analyze 885 studies of PA intervention in ASD from 2003 to 2022 in the Web of Science (WoS) database in order to provide theoretical support for the follow-up research on the effect of PA with ASD. The main findings of this study are as follows. First, the literature on PA interventions in ASD research showed a growing trend. The leading institution in this field is the University of Delaware, forming a core group of authors represented by authors such as Sean Healy and Carol Curtin et al. Second, the research focus of this research area mainly includes PA interventions for children and adolescents with ASD. PA can improve symptoms such as stereotyped behaviors and motor function in patients with ASD as well as can reduce childhood obesity rates and improve quality of life. Third, skill, youth, prevalence, and meta-analysis systematic reviews were found. It is the long-term concern and focus of researchers. In conclusion, the current research is only a short-term analysis, and it is not possible to verify the long-term effect; thus, future data analysis should evaluate and explore the long-term effects of PA interventions on ASD including cohort and longitudinal study types focused on the rehabilitation of patients with ASD. Moreover, testing the sustainability of benefits for children with ASD and constructing a multidimensional exercise integrated intervention model are the main directions for future research in this field.

Keywords: CiteSpace; autism spectrum disorders; bibliometric analysis; hotspots and frontiers; physical activity; research trend.