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Cited by 50Balance, Gait, and Falls PreventionStroke Rehabilitation and RecoveryVirtual Reality Applications and Impacts

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Is Virtual Reality Training More Effective Than Traditional Physical Training on Balance and Functional Mobility in Healthy Older Adults? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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Liu, Meng, Zhou, Kaixiang, Chen, Yan, Zhou, Limingfei, Bao, Dapeng, Zhou, Junhong·2022·Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
DOI 10.3389/fnhum.2022.843481PMC PMC8984187
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Abstract

Objective: The studies showed the benefits of virtual reality training (VRT) for functional mobility and balance in older adults. However, a large variance in the study design and results is presented. We, thus, completed a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantitatively examine the effects of VRT on functional mobility and balance in healthy older adults. Methods: We systematically reviewed the publications in five databases. Studies that examine the effects of VRT on the measures of functional mobility and balance in healthy older adults were screened and included if eligible. Subgroup analyses were completed to explore the effects of different metrics of the intervention design (e.g., session time) on those outcomes related to functional mobility and balance. Results: Fifteen studies of 704 participants were included. The quality of these studies was good. Compared to traditional physical therapy (TPT), VRT induced greater improvement in TUG (MD = −0.31 s, 95% CI = −0.57 to −0.05, p = 0.02, I 2 = 6.34%) and one-leg stance with open eyes (OLS-O) (MD = 7.28 s, 95% CI = 4.36 to 10.20, p = 0.00, I 2 = 36.22%). Subgroup analyses revealed that immersive VRT with more than 800 min of total intervention time over 8 weeks and at least 120 min per week and/or designed by the two motor-learning principles was optimal for functional mobility and balance. Conclusion: Virtual reality training can significantly improve functional mobility and balance in healthy older adults compared to TPT, and the findings provided critical knowledge of the optimized design of VRT that can inform future studies with more rigorous designs. Systematic Review Registration: [ https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/ ], identifier [CRD42021297085].

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Crossref · 10.3389/fnhum.2022.843481

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Figures

FIGURE 1 Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) flow chart of the study identification and selection process.
FIGURE 1 Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) flow chart of the study identification and selection process.CC BY · PubMed Central
FIGURE 2 Risk of bias graph.
FIGURE 2 Risk of bias graph.CC BY · PubMed Central
FIGURE 3 Result of meta-analysis. (A) Timed Up and Go (TUG), (B) one-leg stance with open eyes (OLS-O), (C) functional reach test (FRT), and (D) gait speed (GS).
FIGURE 3 Result of meta-analysis. (A) Timed Up and Go (TUG), (B) one-leg stance with open eyes (OLS-O), (C) functional reach test (FRT), and (D) gait speed (GS).CC BY · PubMed Central
FIGURE 4 Funnel plots.
FIGURE 4 Funnel plots.CC BY · PubMed Central

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

  • User experience of mixed reality applications for healthy ageing: A systematic review

    Lim, K. J., McGuckian, T. B., Cole, M. H., Duckworth, J., & Wilson, P. H. (2023) · Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace · doi:10.5817/cp2023-4-5 · Cited by 5

    “In recent work from 2022, reviews on this area have continued to focus on the effectiveness and outcomes of digital interventions in healthy ageing (Balki et al., 2022; Chu et al., 2022; Liu et al., 2022; Margrett et al., 2022; Suleiman ‐ Martos et al., 2022).”
    Background

Metadata

Authors
Liu, M., Zhou, K., Chen, Y., Zhou, L., Bao, D., & Zhou, J.
Affiliations
  • Beijing Sport University (CN)
  • Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CN)
  • Harvard University (US)
Corresponding author
Bao, Dapeng
ORCID
Venue
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Published
2022-03-23
Volume
16
Pages
843481-843481
ISSN
1662-5161 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3389/fnhum.2022.843481
PMC
PMC8984187
OpenAlex
W4220770312
Cited by
50
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 19 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 4
FWCI
1.92
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Balance, Gait, and Falls Prevention
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts
Keywords
virtual reality training, balance, functional mobility, older adults, Timed Up and Go test, single-leg stance, immersive virtual reality, motor learning, intervention duration, healthy aging

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