Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Therapy on Static Postural Control and Dynamic Balance in Stroke Patients:...

Area of Science:

• Neurorehabilitation
• Biomedical Engineering
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Stroke significantly impairs static postural control and dynamic balance.
• Conventional rehabilitation methods have limitations in restoring these functions.
• Virtual reality (VR) therapy presents a novel approach for stroke rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on VR therapy for stroke.
• To compare the effectiveness of VR therapy versus conventional rehabilitation for postural control and balance.
• To assess VR's impact on specific outcome measures like center of pressure (COP), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Timed Up-and-Go Test (TUG).

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis of 36 RCTs involving 1118 adult stroke participants.
• Inclusion of studies using VR interventions, alone or combined with conventional therapy.
• Analysis of static postural control (COP) and dynamic balance (BBS, TUG) outcomes.

Main Results:

• VR interventions significantly improved static postural control (SMD -0.59 to -0.38, p < 0.05), but not under eyes-closed conditions (SMD -0.13, p = 0.43).
• Significant improvements in dynamic balance were observed with VR therapy (BBS: MD 3.29; TUG: MD -3.43, p < 0.0001).
• Substantial heterogeneity and high risk of bias were noted across multiple outcomes.

Conclusions:

• VR-based interventions show potential benefits for enhancing static postural control and dynamic balance in stroke survivors.
• VR therapy may be most effective when integrated as an adjunct to conventional rehabilitation strategies.
• Further high-quality, large-scale RCTs are necessary to confirm findings and clinical relevance due to heterogeneity and bias.