A Bibliometric Analysis of Motion Sickness Research: Global Trends, Hotspots, and Future Directions (1995–2025)

Purpose Motion sickness (MS) is the most common type of vestibular dysfunction disorder. In recent years, there has been an explosive growth in the number of related publications, yet a systematic bibliometric analysis is still lacking. This study aims to use bibliometric methods to systematically review the knowledge structure, research hotspots, and future development trends in MS research from 1995 to 2025. Methods A total of 3,036 publications related to MS were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database for the period from 1995 to 2025. Bibliometric analysis was conducted using HistCite, the R package "Bibliometrix", CiteSpace, Scimago Graphica, and VOSviewer. The analysis covered annual publication volume, country/institution collaboration networks, journal co - citation networks, author collaboration networks, document co - citation networks, and keyword co - occurrence analysis. Results A total of 3,036 publications from 79 countries were included, with the United States and China being the leading contributors. The number of publications on motion sickness (MS) showed a continuous upward trend, entering a period of explosive growth since 2023. The leading research institutions were the University of Pittsburgh and NASA. Among scientific journals, Aviation Space and Environmental Medicine, Journal of Vestibular Research: Equilibrium & Orientation, Experimental Brain Research, and Displays had the highest publication counts. Among the 9,694 contributing authors, Bos JE, Stoffregen TA, Golding JF, Muth ER, and Stern RM led in publication volume. Bos JE was identified as the most frequently cited co-author (total co-citation count: 2,640). MS research primarily focused on neural mechanisms and intervention strategies, as well as assessment models and virtual reality applications. Virtual reality, machine learning, and the gut-brain axis were identified as the main keywords representing emerging research hotspots. Conclusion This research undertakes the initial comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the Motion Sickness (MS) domain, methodically depicting its three - decade developmental course and knowledge framework. The results indicate that MS research has adhered to a distinct evolutionary route, advancing from fundamental studies on neural mechanisms, via the formulation of intervention strategies and the improvement of assessment instruments, to the recent upsurge in virtual reality (VR) - related inquiries. Presently, virtual reality and visually induced motion sickness constitute the most dynamic research frontiers, whereas AI - powered predictive models and studies on gut - brain axis mechanisms are emerging as significant new research directions. This study offers systematic academic perspectives for scholars in the MS field and pinpoints crucial future research directions, namely multimodal AI predictive models, non - invasive neuromodulation techniques, the molecular mechanisms of the gut - brain axis, and their applications in personalized interventions.