A Bibliometric Analysis of EEG Microstates Research: Current Status,
Trends, and Recommendations
Abstract
EEG microstates provides a unique perspective on the dynamic functional
organization of the brain, has attracted considerable attention. This
study conducted a bibliometric analysis of 441 articles retrieved from
the Web of Science database using CiteSpace. The analysis focused on
four key areas of EEG microstates: The academic network, classification
and function, reliability of parameter, and primary research topics.
Results revealed a steady increase in annual publications within this
field. The academic network was dominated by the countries (including
Switzerland, the United States, and China), the journal NeuroImage, and
prominent researchers such as Koenig, Michel, and Lehmann. Determining
the optimal number and the functions of EEG microstate classes were
attributed to the clustering algorithms and validation criteria. The
reliability of EEG microstate parameters varied, with mean duration
demonstrating high reliability while the lower reliability was observed
for transition probabilities (TP). Primary research topics encompassed
cognitive function exploration, developmental changes, psychiatric
disorder diagnosis, and emotion recognition. Future research should
prioritize developing standardized labeling criteria for EEG microstate
classes. Additionally, caution should be exercised when using TP.
Moreover, integrating EEG microstate analysis with machine learning
techniques provides significant advantages for the advancement and
execution of related research endeavors.