Exploring Mental Practice through Bibliometric Analysis

Mental practice, including motor imagery, has been increasingly recognized as an effective tool in both sport psychology and neurological rehabilitation. Despite its growing use, little is known about the bibliometric landscape of this field. This study aimed to map the global research trends, authorship patterns, and thematic clusters in mental practice research, with a focus on sport psychology and neurorehabilitation. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using articles retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect databases. A total of 36 eligible publications were included after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Bibliometric indicators such as publication trends, citation analysis, author productivity, keyword co-occurrence, and collaboration networks were analyzed using Bibliometrix and VOSviewer. Research on mental practice demonstrated steady growth since 2000, with a significant surge after 2010. Citation analysis revealed several highly influential works, particularly in rehabilitation contexts. Co-occurrence mapping identified three main thematic clusters: (1) rehabilitation and neuroplasticity, (2) sport psychology and performance enhancement, and (3) neuroscientific foundations of motor imagery. Canadian and European researchers, particularly from Université de Montréal, were leading contributors. This study highlights the interdisciplinary nature of mental practice, bridging sport performance and neurological rehabilitation. Mental imagery has demonstrated effectiveness in both improving skill acquisition in athletes and promoting functional recovery post-stroke. Future research should emphasize integrative applications through virtual reality, brain–computer interfaces, and tele-rehabilitation to enhance accessibility and translational impact.