Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and disability worldwide. Post-stroke rehabilitation is an essential intervention to help patients regain motor function and physical independence. However, it is important to follow the evolution of scientific studies on the subject.

Perform a bibliometric analysis on motor function rehabilitation in post-stroke patients.

This study was based on an analysis of bibliometric indicators of original articles indexed in the Web of Science database. The search strategy was carried out in March 2023, using the descriptors: "Stroke survivors" OR "After stroke" AND "Motor function" AND "Rehabilitation". Search records were saved in .txt format and analyzed in the R program (version 4.2.2) using the Bibliometrix package (version 4.1.2).

We identified 1,883 articles published between 1970 and 2023, involving 25,434 authors, with an annual growth rate of 7.53%. The international collaboration rate was 23.79%, with the United States and China standing out. The most influential journal was Disability and Rehabilitation, with the highest number of publications (n=97). The most influential authors on the subject included Bruce Ovbiagele of the University of California (USA) and William Zev Rymer of Northwestern University (USA), both with 31 publications. The study entitled "Robot-assisted movement training compared to conventional therapy techniques for the rehabilitation of upper limb motor function after stroke" by Peter Lum and colleagues (2002) was the most cited study (n=764). The study indicated clinical and biomechanical advantages of robot-assisted movement training compared to conventional techniques for the rehabilitation of upper limb motor function after stroke. The countries with the highest number of publications on the subject are the United States (n=1,782), China (n=800) and the United Kingdom (n=741), with the United States having the highest number of citations (n=11,722). The co-occurrence network analysis of the authors' keywords resulted in the formation of two clusters, with emphasis on themes related to rehabilitation ("exercise", "physical activity", "gait", "balance") and outcomes ("quality of life", "disability", "depression", "social support", "self-efficacy").

The bibliometric analysis of motor function rehabilitation in post-stroke patients revealed a significant increase in the last two decades, with emphasis on outcomes such as quality of life, disability, depression, social support, and self-efficacy.

These findings have important implications for the field of knowledge, providing insight into the most investigated lines of research, and contributing to the formulation of future studies. In addition, identifying the most prominent authors and journals can help guide health professionals to the most reliable and up-to-date sources of information on the subject.