Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Research Trends on the Impact of Cognitive Training on Sports Performance: A Bibliometric Approach and Narrative Review

Background and Aims

Given the significance of cognitive components in optimal athletic performance and the necessity of understanding the current state of research in this field, the present study employs a bibliometric approach to analyze active journals, prominent researchers, and other quantitative in the first section, followed by a narrative review of these studies in the second section.

Materials and Methods

This research combines bibliometric analysis and narrative review methodologies. Keywords such as "cognitive training," "computer-based cognitive training," "cognitive games," "computerized cognitive games," "perceptual training," "cognitive-motor training," and "athletic performance" or "athletes' performance" were searched in the Web of Science database between January 30, 2000, and January 30, 2025. Initially, 165 articles were identified, and after screening, 30 articles were selected for analysis. These were examined using VOSviewer software and Excel.

Results

The findings indicate that out of 619 citations, the highest number of citations and publications occurred in 2024, with Frontiers in Psychology being the most prominent journal. The primary scientific domains were sports sciences and medicine, with cognitive training, perceptual-cognitive training, and sports performance being the most frequently used keywords. In the analysis of knowledge-producing countries, England and Germany emerged as the central nodes of the main clusters.

Conclusion

Given some contradictory findings, it appears that the effectiveness of such training becomes more tangible under pressure or near-real performance conditions and when secondary neurophysiological measurements are assessed alongside behavioral components. However, future research should more rigorously investigate factors such as the alignment of task demands with intervention protocols.