ArticleNPJ digital medicine2025
A scoping review on the role of virtual walking intervention in enhancing wellness.
Article in NPJ digital medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 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
3 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effects of virtual walking on neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury: a systematic review.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026Pooled it
- The impact of virtual reality exercise on motor function, balance and gait function, and cognitive function in stroke patients: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of Virtual Reality-Based Interventions on Neuropathic Pain in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Virtual walking has the potential to be an adjunct to traditional physical therapy. This scoping review aims to synthesize evidence on the characteristics, effectiveness, feasibility, and neurological mechanism of virtual walking interventions on health-related outcomes. Articles in English were retrieved from twelve databases (January 2014-October 2024). Thirteen interventional studies were included, focusing on three types of virtual walking: passive observing moving (71.4%), arm swing locomotion (21.5%), and foot tracking locomotion (7.1%). Most studies (84.6%) involved individuals with spinal cord injuries, while the remaining studies focused on lower back pain (7.7%) and lower limb pain (7.7%). Over 70% of studies lasted 11-20 min, 1-5 weekly sessions for 10-14 days. Statistically significant findings included pain reduction (84.6%), improved physical function (mobility and muscle strength), and reduced depression. Mild adverse effects (fatigue and dizziness) were transient. Neurological evidence indicates somatosensory cortex activation during virtual walking, possibly linked to neuropathic pain.
Identifiers
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.