SynthesisJournal of clinical nursing2026
Virtual reality-based reminiscence therapy for older adults to improve psychological well-being and cognition: A systematic review.
Synthesis in Journal of clinical nursing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 2 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
16 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Virtual reality-based reminiscence therapy for older adults to improve psychological well-being and cognition: A systematic review.Journal of clinical nursing · 2026Pooled it
- The effects of virtual reality training on cognitive function in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Trial
- Digital Healthy Aging in China: Current Landscape and the Way Forward.Health care science · 2026Review
- Counterclockwise Virtual Reality-Based Embodiment of a Younger Self and Revisit of a Past Iconic Event in Older Adults: Between-Groups Study of Cognitive and Physical Performance.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
- Gamification, Exergames, and Digital Games in Older Adults Aged 75 and Over: Evidence on Well-Being, Quality of Life, and Social Engagement-A Scoping Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Immersive virtual reality-based intervention for psychological wellbeing among older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of virtual reality-based nature interventions in promoting mental health outcomes among older adults with cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis.Australian journal of psychology · 2026Review
- Explore the extended impacts on psychological well-being in older adults through application of virtual reality technology: An integrative review.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2025Article
- Mechanisms of Virtual Reality-Based Relaxation in Older Adults: A Scoping Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Exploring Virtual Reality-Based Reminiscence Therapy on Cognitive and Emotional Well-Being in People with Cognitive Impairments: A Scoping Review.Brain sciences · 2025Review
- Virtual Reality Reminiscence Therapy in Dementia Care: Scoping Review of Research.JMIR XR and spatial computing · 2025Review
- Recent Advances in Multimodal Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Late-Life Depression.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2025Review
- Development and Initial Testing of an Artificial Intelligence-Based Virtual Reality Companion for People Living with Dementia in Long-Term Care.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Perspectives of older adults and healthcare providers on digital technologies in reminiscence therapy: A qualitative study.Digital healthArticle
- Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundVirtual reality-reminiscence therapy (VR-RT) has increasingly been applied to older adults to improve psychological well-being and cognition.
objectiveThis review aims to identify (1) the design characteristics of conducting a VR-RT and (2) the effects of VR-RT on the user experience, cognitive outcomes and psychological well-being.
designSystematic review.
methodsEligible studies were sourced across nine electronic databases, trial registries, grey literature and hand-searching of the reference list. A narrative synthesis was conducted. Twenty-two studies were included, and most were appraised as high quality. Most of the VR-RTs were highly immersive and personalised, with participants having the autonomy of control. VR-RT has the potential to improve anxiety and depression, and cognitive outcomes for older adults. Overall, VR-RT was reported to be an enjoyable experience for older adults.
conclusionsVR-RT is a promising innovation that can improve older adults' psychological well-being and cognition without significant side effects, including cybersickness and with the potential for scalability across various settings. More randomised controlled studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of VR-RT and its features and treatment dosage. These studies could also examine the effectiveness of VR-RT as an intervention to promote independence in activities of daily living and physical rehabilitation. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: VR-RT is a promising intervention for older adults in community settings to enhance psychological well-being and cognition. VR's versatility enables personalised experiences within dynamic virtual environments, possibly enhancing engagement and therapeutic outcomes. NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This systematic review did not directly involve patient or public contribution to the manuscript.
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What OpenQuestion holds
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.