Virtual Reality Shows Promise in Motor Function Recovery

TOPLINE:

Virtual reality (VR) technology was associated with enhanced balance and limb motor functions in critically ill adult patients compared with traditional rehabilitation techniques, new meta-analysis shows.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using data from 11 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published over 10 years in eight major databases.
• The analysis included 880 critically ill adult patients, with 435 in the experimental group and 445 in the control group.
• Outcome measures included balance function, functional independence, walking ability, and upper and lower limb motor functions as assessed using the Berg Balance Scale, Functional Independence Measure, Functional Ambulation Category, and Fugl-Meyer Assessment, respectively.

TAKEAWAY:

• Compared with traditional rehabilitation techniques, VR technology was associated with significantly improved Berg Balance Scale scores (mean difference [MD], 3.95; P P P P
• Functional Independence Measure scores did not differ significantly between the groups (MD, 0.21; P > .05).
• Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the results.

IN PRACTICE:

“High-quality, multicenter, large-scale RCTs are needed to validate this conclusion, and decision-makers need to comprehensively assess exercise function to select the appropriate VR technology when formulating exercise prescriptions, providing a basis for the standardization of the use of VR technology,” the investigators wrote.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Yansha He, Chongzhou People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China. It was published online on February 5 in Frontiers in Neurology.

LIMITATIONS:

The limited number of included studies, varied patient conditions, variations in research design methods both domestically and internationally, and differences in VR versions and game modules used were some of the limitations. Additionally, the study lacked uniform standards for intervention time and frequency and assessment time selection. 

DISCLOSURES:

This study was supported by the Sichuan Science and Technology Program. The investigators reported no potential conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.