The Association Between Depression and Tourette Syndrome: A Bibliometric Analysis of Research Hotspots and Emerging Trends from 2001 to 2025

Abstract

Background Depression is a clinically relevant comorbidity of Tourette syndrome (TS), yet the organization and development of research on this topic remain poorly characterized. This study aimed to map the knowledge structure, research hotspots, and emerging trends in the literature on TS and depression. It also sought to identify questions that warrant further investigation. Methods English-language articles and reviews published from 2001 to 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus. Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace were used to analyze publication and citation trends, collaboration networks, co-cited references, keyword co-occurrence, and temporal patterns. A narrative comparison of selected clinical studies informed the interpretation of these findings. Results After database-specific screening, 3024 records were combined, and 2311 publications remained after duplicate removal. Publication output increased overall, with the United States, the United Kingdom, and China contributing the most publications. Research themes expanded from tic control and pharmacological treatment to psychiatric comorbidities, mental health, quality of life, and functional outcomes. TS, tic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, comorbidity, and neuromodulation formed the core keyword network. Conclusion Research on TS and depression increasingly addresses psychiatric comorbidity and functional outcomes. These findings support assessing depressive symptoms alongside tic severity and including depression and functional outcomes in future TS research.