Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34787571›Full record

SynthesisJournal of medical Internet research2021

Impact of Virtual Reality-Based Therapies on Cognition and Mental Health of Stroke Patients: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Qi Zhang, Yu Fu, Yanhui Lu, Yating Zhang, Qifang Huang, Yajie Yang, Ke Zhang, Mingzi Li

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of medical Internet research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 53 papers, 15 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
53citing papers in PubMed, 15 pooled it
9.7field-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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

53 citing papers in PubMed, 15 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 116 citations in OpenAlex.

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  2. Efficacy of digital health technologies as adjunctive functional training in occupational therapy for stroke rehabilitation: a meta-analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026
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  7. Combined noninvasive brain stimulation virtual reality for upper limb rehabilitation poststroke: 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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  19. Network-oriented neurorehabilitation after stroke: a paradigmatic approach.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2026
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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

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Qi Zhang *School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0001-5517-2617
Yu Fu *Department of Computer Science, Aberystwyth University, Wales, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-1502-2328
Yanhui LuSchool of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0002-7905-2561
Yating ZhangSchool of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0003-4313-5477
Qifang HuangSchool of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0002-9049-0714
Yajie YangSchool of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0002-7048-9126
Ke ZhangDepartment of Psychology, Shanxi Datong University, Datong City, China.ORCID 0000-0003-1608-0116
Mingzi LiSchool of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0003-0186-8859
Peking University · CNAberystwyth University · GBShanxi Datong University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundStroke remains one of the major chronic illnesses worldwide that health care organizations will need to address for the next several decades. Individuals poststroke are subject to levels of cognitive impairment and mental health problems. Virtual reality (VR)-based therapies are new technologies used for cognitive rehabilitation and the management of psychological outcomes.

objectiveThis study performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of VR-based therapies on cognitive function and mental health in patients with stroke.

methodsA comprehensive database search was performed using PubMed, MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, Cochrane Library, and APA PsycINFO databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that studied the effects of VR on patients with stroke. We included trials published up to April 15, 2021, that fulfilled our inclusion and exclusion criteria. The literature was screened, data were extracted, and the methodological quality of the included trials was assessed. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software.

resultsA total of 894 patients from 23 RCTs were included in our meta-analysis. Compared to traditional rehabilitation therapies, the executive function (standard mean difference [SMD]=0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.06-1.70, P=.03), memory (SMD=1.44, 95% CI=0.21-2.68, P=.02), and visuospatial function (SMD=0.78, 95% CI=0.23-1.33, P=.006) significantly improved among patients after VR intervention. However, there were no significant differences observed in global cognitive function, attention, verbal fluency, depression, and the quality of life (QoL).

conclusionsThe findings of our meta-analysis showed that VR-based therapies are efficacious in improving executive function, memory, and visuospatial function in patients with stroke. For global cognitive function, attention, verbal fluency, depression, and the QoL, further research is required.

trial registrationPROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42021252788; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=252788.

Indexed as

StrokeStroke RehabilitationVirtual RealityVirtual Reality Exposure TherapyCognitionHumansMental Healthcognitiondepressionmental healthstrokevirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID34787571
PMCPMC8663637
OpenAlexW3214003571

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.