Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34956054›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in neurology2021

Efficacy of Virtual Reality and Exergaming in Improving Balance in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Dario Calafiore, Marco Invernizzi, Antonio Ammendolia, Nicola Marotta, Francesco Fortunato, Teresa Paolucci, Francesco Ferraro, Claudio Curci, Agnieszka Cwirlej-Sozanska, Alessandro de Sire

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in neurology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
38citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

38 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Virtual reality for multiple sclerosis rehabilitation.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025
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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

10 authors.

Dario CalafiorePhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, Department of Neurosciences, ASST Carlo Poma, Mantova, Italy.
Marco InvernizziPhysical and Rehabilitative Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy.
Antonio AmmendoliaDepartment of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy.
Nicola MarottaDepartment of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy.
Francesco FortunatoInstitute of Neurology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy.
Teresa PaolucciDepartment of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, G. D'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
Francesco FerraroPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, Department of Neurosciences, ASST Carlo Poma, Mantova, Italy.
Claudio CurciPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, Department of Neurosciences, ASST Carlo Poma, Mantova, Italy.
Agnieszka Cwirlej-SozanskaInstitute of Health Sciences, College of Medical Sciences of the University of Rzeszow, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland.
Alessandro de SireDepartment of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common causes of neurological progressive disease and can lead to loss of mobility, walk impairment, and balance disturbance. Among several rehabilitative approaches proposed, exergaming and virtual reality (VR) have been studied in the recent years. Active video game therapy could reduce the boredom of the rehabilitation process, increasing patient motivation, providing direct feedback, and enabling dual-task training. Aim of this systematic review was to assess the efficacy of exergaming and VR for balance recovery in patients with MS. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched from the inception until May 14, 2021 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) presenting: patients with MS as participants, exergaming and VR as intervention, conventional rehabilitation as comparator, and balance assessment [Berg Balance Scale (BBS)] as outcome measure. We also performed a meta-analysis of the mean difference in the BBS via the random-effects method. Out of 93 records, this systematic review included and analyzed 7 RCTs, involving a total of 209 patients affected by MS, of which 97 patients performed exergaming or VR and 112 patients underwent conventional rehabilitation. The meta-analysis reported a significant overall ES of 4.25 (

Indexed as

balanceexergamesmeta-analysismultiple sclerosisrehabilitationvirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID34956054
PMCPMC8702427

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.