Trial reportJournal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation2021
Immersive virtual reality during gait rehabilitation increases walking speed and motivation: a usability evaluation with healthy participants and patients with multiple sclerosis and stroke.
Trial report in Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 63 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
63 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 166 citations in OpenAlex.
- Virtual reality for multiple sclerosis rehabilitation.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Virtual reality and sports performance: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials exploring balance.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of virtual reality motor games on motor skills in children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Pooled it
- The effectiveness of virtual reality games in improving cognition, mobility, and emotion in elderly post-stroke patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Neurosurgical review · 2023Pooled it
- Virtual reality-based therapy improves balance and reduces fear of falling in patients with multiple sclerosis. a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2023Pooled it
- Motivation as a Measurable Outcome in Stroke Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review of the Literature.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Pooled it
- Virtual Reality-Based Therapy Improves Fatigue, Impact, and Quality of Life in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis. A Systematic Review with a Meta-Analysis.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Pooled it
- Impact of sensorimotor mismatch on virtual reality sickness and user experience: age-related differences in a randomized trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2025Trial
- Comparative effects of sensory motor and virtual reality interventions to improve gait, balance and quality of life MS patients.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- Evaluation of power wheelchair driving performance in simulator compared to driving in real-life situations: the SIMADAPT (simulator ADAPT) project-a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2024Trial
- Concurrent validity of an immersive virtual reality version of the Box and Block Test to assess manual dexterity among patients with stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2022Trial
- Interventional Feasibility Study Investigating Virtual Reality-Based Gait Assessment With Orthoses in People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Study Protocol.Clinical and translational science · 2026Article
- Seated gait training with arm swing synchronized to a walking virtual avatar.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Benefits of a Perceived High-Intensity Exercise Program with Immersive Virtual Reality Combined with Usual Rehabilitation in Multiple Sclerosis: Exploratory Study.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Article
- User Experience of a Virtual Reality-Based Treadmill for Children With a Chronic Disease Affecting Physical Health: Cross-Sectional Feasibility Study.JMIR serious games · 2026Article
- User Experience of Extended Reality Treatment for Visuospatial Neglect Among Patients and Informal Caregivers: Qualitative Interview Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies · 2026Article
- A Novel Virtual Reality Intervention Combining Movement Exercises and Body Illusions for the Treatment of Chronic Back Pain: Prospective Feasibility Study.JMIR serious games · 2026Article
- Visuo-Vestibular Virtual Reality-Based Training for People with Stroke: A Feasibility Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- A pilot study on the effects of a physio-avatar EB experience on motor performance.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2026Article
- Tools and methods for assessing the usability and related aspects of usability of extended reality and telerehabilitation technologies in stroke rehabilitation: a scoping review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2025Review
3 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe rehabilitation of gait disorders in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and stroke is often based on conventional treadmill training. Virtual reality (VR)-based treadmill training can increase motivation and improve therapy outcomes. The present study evaluated an immersive virtual reality application (using a head-mounted display, HMD) for gait rehabilitation with patients to (1) demonstrate its feasibility and acceptance and to (2) compare its short-term effects to a semi-immersive presentation (using a monitor) and a conventional treadmill training without VR to assess the usability of both systems and estimate the effects on walking speed and motivation.
methodsIn a within-subjects study design, 36 healthy participants and 14 persons with MS or stroke participated in each of the three experimental conditions (VR via HMD, VR via monitor, treadmill training without VR).
resultsFor both groups, the walking speed in the HMD condition was higher than in treadmill training without VR and in the monitor condition. Healthy participants reported a higher motivation after the HMD condition as compared with the other conditions. Importantly, no side effects in the sense of simulator sickness occurred and usability ratings were high. No increases in heart rate were observed following the VR conditions. Presence ratings were higher for the HMD condition compared with the monitor condition for both user groups. Most of the healthy study participants (89%) and patients (71%) preferred the HMD-based training among the three conditions and most patients could imagine using it more frequently.
conclusionsFor the first time, the present study evaluated the usability of an immersive VR system for gait rehabilitation in a direct comparison with a semi-immersive system and a conventional training without VR with healthy participants and patients. The study demonstrated the feasibility of combining a treadmill training with immersive VR. Due to its high usability and low side effects, it might be particularly suited for patients to improve training motivation and training outcome e. g. the walking speed compared with treadmill training using no or only semi-immersive VR. Immersive VR systems still require specific technical setup procedures. This should be taken into account for specific clinical use-cases during a cost-benefit assessment.
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Registered trials
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.