Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37041557›Full record

SynthesisJournal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation2023

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.

Irene Cortés-Pérez, María Catalina Osuna-Pérez, Desirée Montoro-Cárdenas, Rafael Lomas-Vega, Esteban Obrero-Gaitán, Francisco Antonio Nieto-Escamez

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

Synthesis in Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
17citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
7.9field-weighted citation impact, top 2% 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

17 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 31 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Irene Cortés-PérezDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, s/n, Jaén, Spain.
María Catalina Osuna-PérezDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, s/n, Jaén, Spain.
Desirée Montoro-CárdenasFREMAP, Mutual Collaborator With Social Security Nº 61, Santo Reino, 7, Jaén, Spain.
Rafael Lomas-VegaDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, s/n, Jaén, Spain.
Esteban Obrero-GaitánDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, s/n, Jaén, Spain. eobrero@ujaen.es.
Francisco Antonio Nieto-EscamezCenter for Neuropsychological Assessment and Neurorehabilitation (CERNEP), University of Almería, Almería, Spain.
Universidad de Jaén · ESUniversity of Almería · ES

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study aims to conduct a meta-analysis to assess the effect of virtual reality-based therapy (VRBT) on balance dimensions and fear of falling in patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Secondarily, to determine the most recommendable dose of VRBT to improve balance.

methodsPubMed Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL and PEDro were screened, without publication date restrictions, until September 30th, 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the effectiveness of VRBT against other interventions in PwMS were included. Functional and dynamic balance, confidence of balance, postural control in posturography, fear of falling and gait speed were the variables assessed. A meta-analysis was performed by pooling the Cohen's standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.0.

resultsNineteen RCTs, reporting 858 PwMS, were included. Our findings reported that VRBT is effective in improving functional balance (SMD = 0.8; 95%CI 0.47 to 1.14; p < 0.001); dynamic balance (SMD = - 0.3; 95%CI - 0.48 to - 0.11; p = 0.002); postural control with posturography (SMD = - 0.54; 95%CI - 0.99 to - 0.1; p = 0.017); confidence of balance (SMD = 0.43; 95%CI 0.15 to 0.71; p = 0.003); and in reducing fear of falling (SMD = - 1.04; 95%CI - 2 to - 0.07; p = 0.035); but not on gait speed (SMD = - 0.11; 95%CI: - 0.35 to 0.14; p = 0.4). Besides, the most adequate dose of VRBT to achieve the greatest improvement in functional balance was at least 40 sessions, five sessions per week and 40-45 min per sessions; and for dynamic balance, it would be between 8 and 19 weeks, twice a week and 20-30 min per session.

conclusionVRBT may have a short-term beneficial role in improving balance and reducing fear of falling in PwMS.

Indexed as

Multiple SclerosisVirtual RealityAccidental FallsHumansPhysical Therapy ModalitiesRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicFear of fallingGait speedMultiple sclerosisPostural balancePostural controlVirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID37041557
PMCPMC10088228
OpenAlexW4364359282

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.