The intellectual landscape of cognitive impairment in type 2 diabetes: knowledge structure, research focuses and rising trends

Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is prevalent worldwide, with cognitive dysfunction emerging as a significant complication. Despite extensive research into its pathological mechanisms and clinical management, the knowledge structure, research priorities, and developmental trends within this field remain unsystematically integrated. Methods To ensure comprehensive coverage and compatibility with bibliometric analysis tools, relevant publications on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cognitive dysfunction were primarily retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database from its inception to November 5, 2025. Searches were also conducted in PubMed and Scopus to verify completeness, but the final dataset was derived mainly from WOSCC due to its optimal export format for CiteSpace (plain text with full records and cited references) and high overlap after deduplication. Employing bibliometric methods and tools such as CiteSpace (version 6.4 Advanced) and SCImago Graphica (version 1.0.39), we conducted visual analyses of publication trends, country/region collaboration, institutional distribution, author contributions, journal impact, co-cited references, and keywords. Results A total of 1,752 publications were included. Annual publication volume exhibited a marked upward trend, accelerating particularly after 2018. China, the United States, and the United Kingdom were the primary contributing nations, with close inter-institutional collaboration. High-frequency keywords included ‘type 2 diabetes mellitus’, ‘Alzheimer’s disease’, and ‘cognitive impairment’. Research focus has shifted from early risk factors to microscopic levels, including neuroimaging, gut microbiota, and molecular mechanisms. Conclusion Research on cognitive dysfunction in T2DM exhibits multidisciplinary characteristics, balancing fundamental research with clinical translation. Future efforts should enhance multidimensional integration of mechanism studies to advance early screening and personalised treatment strategies.