Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24681826›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2014

Virtual reality therapy for adults post-stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis exploring virtual environments and commercial games in therapy.

Keith R Lohse, Courtney G E Hilderman, Katharine L Cheung, Sandy Tatla, H F Machiel Van der Loos

8 registry-linked trialsOpen access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 8 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 157 papers, 23 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
157citing papers in PubMed, 23 pooled it
36.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT02290353 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2015, after this paper: background citation

Functional Engagement in Assisted Therapy Through Exercise Robotics

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of British ColumbiaRan2015 to 2015Enrolled10ConditionsStroke, Cerebral Palsy, Traumatic Brain InjuryArmsFEATHERS
NCT03392493 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2018, after this paper: background citation

The Effects on Hand Function With Robot-assisted Rehabilitation for Patients With Stroke

TypeinterventionalSponsorTaipei Medical University Shuang Ho HospitalRan2018 to 2018Enrolled25ConditionsStrokeArmsRobot-assisted hand rehabilitation, Standard treatment
NCT03490591 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2018, after this paper: background citation

The Effects on Hand Function With Robot-assisted Rehabilitation for Children With Cerebral Palsy: a Pilot Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorTaipei Medical University Shuang Ho HospitalRan2018 to 2018Enrolled8ConditionsCerebral PalsyArmsRobot-assisted hand rehabilitation
NCT04297774 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2020, after this paper: background citation

Effects of Wearable Sensor Based Virtual Reality Game on Balance for Patients With Stroke

TypeinterventionalSponsorTaipei Medical University Shuang Ho HospitalRan2020 to 2021Enrolled40ConditionsStrokeArmsvirtual reality treatment, standard treatment, balance training
NCT04429945 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2021, after this paper: background citation

Immersive Virtual Reality to Improve Outcomes in Patients With Stroke: A Pilot Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorVA Office of Research and DevelopmentRan2021 to 2022Enrolled10ConditionsStrokeArmsVirtual Reality
NCT05315089 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

Effects and Perception of Intensive Virtual Reality Training on Upper Limb Functions After Stroke

TypeinterventionalSponsorRiphah International UniversityRan2022 to 2022Enrolled40ConditionsStrokeArmsVirtual reality games +conventional exercises, Conventional exercises
NCT05441228 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

Comparison of Effectiveness of Virtual Reality With Mirror Therapy in Improving Motor Function of Upper Limb of Stroke Patients

TypeinterventionalSponsorShifa Tameer-e-Millat UniversityRan2022 to 2022Enrolled32ConditionsStrokeArmsOculus Quest 2, Mirror therapy box
NCT07713342 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

The Efficacy of Virtual Reality Training on Medial Epicondyle Apophysitis in Adolescent Athletes

TypeinterventionalSponsorSouth Valley UniversityRan2026 to 2026Enrolled60ConditionsAdolescent Athelets, Medial Epicondyle ApophysitisArmsThe Control Group, The Study Group
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

157 citing papers in PubMed, 23 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 502 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Virtual reality for stroke rehabilitation.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025
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  7. Effectiveness of combined robotics and virtual reality on lower limb functional ability in stroke survivors: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2024
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  14. Serious games for upper limb rehabilitation after stroke: a meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2021
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  16. Home-based technologies for stroke rehabilitation: A systematic review.International journal of medical informatics · 2019
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97 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Keith R LohseSchool of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America; School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Courtney G E HildermanDepartment of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Katharine L CheungDepartment of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Sandy TatlaDepartment of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
H F Machiel Van der LoosDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
University of British Columbia · CAAuburn University · US

Funding

TRAINING PROGRAM IN ACADEMIC NEPHROLOGYT32DK007357 · NIDDK · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI CHERTOW, GLENN MATTHEW · 1986 to 2022
$4.8M
Mentoring Patient-Oriented Clinical Investigators in NephrologyK24DK085446 · NIDDK · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI CHERTOW, GLENN MATTHEW · 2010 to 2022
$1.4M
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe objective of this analysis was to systematically review the evidence for virtual reality (VR) therapy in an adult post-stroke population in both custom built virtual environments (VE) and commercially available gaming systems (CG).

methodsMEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, ERIC, PSYCInfo, DARE, PEDro, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were systematically searched from the earliest available date until April 4, 2013. Controlled trials that compared VR to conventional therapy were included. Population criteria included adults (>18) post-stroke, excluding children, cerebral palsy, and other neurological disorders. Included studies were reported in English. Quality of studies was assessed with the Physiotherapy Evidence Database Scale (PEDro).

resultsTwenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. For body function outcomes, there was a significant benefit of VR therapy compared to conventional therapy controls, G = 0.48, 95% CI = [0.27, 0.70], and no significant difference between VE and CG interventions (P = 0.38). For activity outcomes, there was a significant benefit of VR therapy, G = 0.58, 95% CI = [0.32, 0.85], and no significant difference between VE and CG interventions (P = 0.66). For participation outcomes, the overall effect size was G = 0.56, 95% CI = [0.02, 1.10]. All participation outcomes came from VE studies. DISCUSSION: VR rehabilitation moderately improves outcomes compared to conventional therapy in adults post-stroke. Current CG interventions have been too few and too small to assess potential benefits of CG. Future research in this area should aim to clearly define conventional therapy, report on participation measures, consider motivational components of therapy, and investigate commercially available systems in larger RCTs.

trial registrationProspero CRD42013004338.

Indexed as

Stroke RehabilitationAgedCerebral PalsyHumansMiddle AgedVirtual Reality Exposure Therapy

Identifiers

PMID24681826
PMCPMC3969329
OpenAlexW2040680107

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

and 2 more above

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.