TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of virtual reality-based therapies on cognition and mental health of stroke patients
T2 - Systematic review and meta-analysis
AU - Zhang, Qi
AU - Fu, Yu
AU - Lu, Yanhui
AU - Zhang, Yating
AU - Huang, Qifang
AU - Yang, Yajie
AU - Zhang, Ke
AU - Li, Mingzi
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Qi Zhang, Yu Fu, Yanhui Lu, Yating Zhang, Qifang Huang, Yajie Yang, Ke Zhang, Mingzi Li. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 17.11.2021. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on https://www.jmir.org/, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.
PY - 2021/11/17
Y1 - 2021/11/17
N2 - Background: Stroke remains one of the major chronic illnesses worldwide that health care organizations will need to address for the next several decades. Individuals poststroke are subject to levels of cognitive impairment and mental health problems. Virtual reality (VR)-based therapies are new technologies used for cognitive rehabilitation and the management of psychological outcomes. Objective: This study performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of VR-based therapies on cognitive function and mental health in patients with stroke. Methods: A comprehensive database search was performed using PubMed, MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, Cochrane Library, and APA PsycINFO databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that studied the effects of VR on patients with stroke. We included trials published up to April 15, 2021, that fulfilled our inclusion and exclusion criteria. The literature was screened, data were extracted, and the methodological quality of the included trials was assessed. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. Results: A total of 894 patients from 23 RCTs were included in our meta-analysis. Compared to traditional rehabilitation therapies, the executive function (standard mean difference [SMD]=0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.06-1.70, P=.03), memory (SMD=1.44, 95% CI=0.21-2.68, P=.02), and visuospatial function (SMD=0.78, 95% CI=0.23-1.33, P=.006) significantly improved among patients after VR intervention. However, there were no significant differences observed in global cognitive function, attention, verbal fluency, depression, and the quality of life (QoL). Conclusions: The findings of our meta-analysis showed that VR-based therapies are efficacious in improving executive function, memory, and visuospatial function in patients with stroke. For global cognitive function, attention, verbal fluency, depression, and the QoL, further research is required.
AB - Background: Stroke remains one of the major chronic illnesses worldwide that health care organizations will need to address for the next several decades. Individuals poststroke are subject to levels of cognitive impairment and mental health problems. Virtual reality (VR)-based therapies are new technologies used for cognitive rehabilitation and the management of psychological outcomes. Objective: This study performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of VR-based therapies on cognitive function and mental health in patients with stroke. Methods: A comprehensive database search was performed using PubMed, MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, Cochrane Library, and APA PsycINFO databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that studied the effects of VR on patients with stroke. We included trials published up to April 15, 2021, that fulfilled our inclusion and exclusion criteria. The literature was screened, data were extracted, and the methodological quality of the included trials was assessed. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. Results: A total of 894 patients from 23 RCTs were included in our meta-analysis. Compared to traditional rehabilitation therapies, the executive function (standard mean difference [SMD]=0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.06-1.70, P=.03), memory (SMD=1.44, 95% CI=0.21-2.68, P=.02), and visuospatial function (SMD=0.78, 95% CI=0.23-1.33, P=.006) significantly improved among patients after VR intervention. However, there were no significant differences observed in global cognitive function, attention, verbal fluency, depression, and the quality of life (QoL). Conclusions: The findings of our meta-analysis showed that VR-based therapies are efficacious in improving executive function, memory, and visuospatial function in patients with stroke. For global cognitive function, attention, verbal fluency, depression, and the QoL, further research is required.
KW - Cognition
KW - Depression
KW - Mental health
KW - Stroke
KW - Virtual reality
KW - Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
KW - Humans
KW - Stroke/therapy
KW - Stroke Rehabilitation
KW - Mental Health
KW - Virtual Reality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85120404610&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2196/31007
DO - 10.2196/31007
M3 - Review Article
C2 - 34787571
AN - SCOPUS:85120404610
SN - 1438-8871
VL - 23
JO - Journal of Medical Internet Research
JF - Journal of Medical Internet Research
IS - 11
M1 - e31007
ER -