Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41551140›Full record

ArticleHealth psychology and behavioral medicine2026

A home-based VR exercise for improving depression and quality of life after heart surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

Kornanong Yuenyongchaiwat, Natsinee Sermsinsaithong, Chatchai Buekban, Chusak Thanawattano, Wararat Tavonudomgit, Chitima Kulchanarat, Khanistha Wattanananont, Sasipa Buranapuntalug, Preeyaphorn Songsorn, Opas Satdhabudha

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Article in Health psychology and behavioral medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Kornanong YuenyongchaiwatDepartment of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
Natsinee SermsinsaithongDepartment of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
Chatchai BuekbanBiomedical Electronics and Systems Research Team, Assistive Technology and Medical Devices Research Group, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
Chusak ThanawattanoBiomedical Electronics and Systems Research Team, Assistive Technology and Medical Devices Research Group, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
Wararat TavonudomgitDepartment of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
Chitima KulchanaratPhysical Therapy Center, Thammasat University Hospital, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
Khanistha WattanananontCardiac Rehabilitation Unit, Excellence Center, Faculty of Medicine, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Sasipa BuranapuntalugDepartment of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
Preeyaphorn SongsornDepartment of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
Opas SatdhabudhaDepartment of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Exercise is an integral component of cardiac rehabilitation after open-heart surgery in both hospital and community settings, and such programs are designed to reduce adverse physical and mental health outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Virtual reality (VR)-based aerobic exercises are used for cardiac rehabilitation. We aimed to analyze the effects of an eight-week home-based phase II cardiac rehabilitation program performed in VR on depression and quality of life (QOL) in community-dwelling individuals who underwent open-heart surgery. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted, and 49 patients who underwent elective open-heart surgery were assigned to either the VR group (n=24) or the control group. Members of the control group received a paper booklet (n=25) during phase II cardiac rehabilitation. Depression and SF-36 scores were assessed at baseline and at eight weeks. Results: The VR group showed a significant decrease in depression after eight weeks, compared to the control group (D-1.75, p=.003, n2p=0.175). The SF-36 showed no significant differences between the VR and control groups. Conclusions: A home-based VR exercise program has applications in phase II cardiac rehabilitation for open-heart surgery by reducing depression but not QOL. Therefore, integrating VR exercise into cardiac rehabilitation programs may offer a novel strategy to address mental health challenges.

Indexed as

cardiac rehabilitationdepressionheart surgeryquality of lifeVirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID41551140
PMCPMC12805847

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LicenceCC BY
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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.