ArticleDigital health
Virtual reality after stroke: Identifying important characteristics when designing experiences to improve engagement in upper limb rehabilitation.
Article in Digital health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Patient-centered insights into virtual reality rehabilitation for stroke: a systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2025Pooled it
- Virtual reality-based rehabilitation experience of stroke survivors: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.Frontiers in public health · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of self-directed game-based virtual reality program on upper-limb motor recovery in mild-to-moderate ischemic stroke: a randomized controlled trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine · 2026Trial
- Exploring Usability and User Engagement in Fully Immersive Virtual Reality Systems for Upper Limb Stroke Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review.Progress in rehabilitation medicine · 2026Review
- Recommendations for Combining Brain-Computer Interface, Motor Imagery, and Virtual Reality in Upper Limb Stroke Rehabilitation: Qualitative Participatory Design Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies · 2025Article
- Experiences of Young and Middle-Aged Stroke Patients with Hemiplegia Who Actively Participate in Rehabilitation Exercises and Their Perceptions of Well-Being: A Descriptive Qualitative Study.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: Virtual reality (VR) has been used to improve upper limb function after stroke but there is little to guide product developers in building experiences that engage users in the sustained, repetitive training required. This research sought to understand the characteristics of VR scenarios best suited to engaging someone with a stroke during recovery to achieve therapeutic outcomes. Methods: Five creative immersive VR scenarios were designed by an experienced VR content creator containing unique combinations of VR characteristics. The usefulness of the scenarios was reviewed by expert clinicians experienced in stroke rehabilitation. Following this review, seven stroke survivors participated in each experience and reported on their engagement and motivation. Outcome measures were the User Satisfaction Evaluation Questionnaire and the modified Intrinsic Motivation Inventory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five participants following their immersive VR experience and analysed thematically. Results: Expert clinicians reported potential therapeutic value in the immersive VR scenarios by providing opportunities for repeated and graded practice of upper limb movements. Stroke survivors reported varied levels of enjoyment and engagement for each scenario. They recommended changes to the experiences, primarily relating to the tailoring of the scenarios to match varied upper limb capacities. Conclusion: This study highlights the characteristics of immersive VR scenarios that are important in sustaining motivation and providing high-repetition task-specific movement experiences. Differences in the experience and preferences of stroke participants regarding the characteristics of immersive VR experiences indicate that a variety of experiences are necessary to engage and sustain participation in an immersive VR-related therapy programme.
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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.