Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for age‐related cognitive decline: Hotspots, trends, and future directions

With the acceleration of global population aging, the incidence of age‐related cognitive decline (ARCD) is increasing. This impairs older adults' ability to take care of themselves and increases the burden on families and society. Cognitive rehabilitation is a key management strategy for ARCD. It not only delays disease progression and maintains cognitive function but also enhances patients' ability to perform activities of daily living and engage in social participation. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non‐invasive neuromodulation technique that precisely regulates the activity of specific brain regions and promotes neuroplasticity, has shown potential for improving mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia‐related symptoms, making it an important treatment option in the field of cognitive rehabilitation. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of 2038 publications from 2005 to 2025. We visualized and analyzed the results using CiteSpace, presenting the most productive countries/regions and institutions, highly cited authors and co‐cited authors, and core journals based on co‐citation analysis. Keywords and references were also analyzed to elucidate the hotspots and trends of rTMS in the field of cognitive rehabilitation. Keyword co‐occurrence and thematic evolution analyses highlighted three major research domains: therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease (AD), MCI, and depression‐related cognitive deficits. Research directions for some key results are discussed. Future efforts should focus on elucidating neuroplasticity mechanisms, integrating multimodal neuroimaging technologies (electroencephalogram/functional magnetic resonance imaging, EEG/fMRI), optimizing individualized stimulation protocols, and strengthening international collaborations to standardize clinical trial methodologies. These findings establish a strategic framework for translating rTMS innovations into precision cognitive rehabilitation paradigms.