ReviewJournal of pain research2025
Virtual Reality Interventions for Spinal Cord Injury-Related Neuropathic Pain: A Comprehensive Scoping Review of Multidimensional Outcomes.
Review in Journal of pain research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Virtual reality (VR) technology represents a novel non-pharmacological intervention demonstrating unique advantages in treating neuropathic pain (NP) following spinal cord injury (SCI). However, systematic clinical guidelines for its application remain lacking. Objective: To systematically sort out the application patterns of VR in SCI-NP treatment, elucidate its underlying mechanisms of action, evaluate its advantages and limitations, and provide evidence-based recommendations for SCI-NP rehabilitation practice. Methods: Following PRISMA scoping review protocols, we conducted a comprehensive search. Relevant literature was retrieved from PubMed, Cochrane Library databases, and Web of Science spanning from January 2005 to February 2025, using search terms including "virtual reality", "VR", "virtual walking", "spinal cord injury/SCI", "neuropathic pain", "central pain", "neuralgia", "chronic pain", and "pain." Studies examining VR applications in SCI-NP, including experimental and clinical investigations, were included. Narrative synthesis was employed to summarize VR application characteristics and therapeutic outcomes. Results: Of the 126 articles retrieved, we included 15 articles involving more than 400 participants. Research designs encompassed randomized controlled trials (n=8), clinical trials (n=2), pilot studies (n=2), feasibility studies (n=2), and exploratory study (n=1). Assessment parameters included pain intensity, pain characteristics, pain interference, emotional status, and immersion experience. Twelve of 15 studies reported significant improvements in neuropathic pain intensity, while most studies assessing pain characteristics, pain Interference, emotional status and intervention quality demonstrated positive effects. However, given the methodological constraints of most studies, such as limited sample sizes, incomplete assessment measures, and insufficient follow-up durations, the widespread use and long-term effectiveness of VR intervention still require further validation. Conclusion: Current evidence suggests VR technology may serve as an effective adjunct to, rather than replacement for, conventional treatment. Despite limited evidence, VR demonstrates promising analgesic efficacy and emotional enhancement potential in SCI-NP management. Critical knowledge gaps were identified regarding intervention modalities, treatment duration, and participant characteristics, providing recommendations for future research focusing on intervention protocol standardization, outcome measure harmonization, and mechanistic understanding advancement.
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