Virtual reality improves recovery after stroke

Rehabilitation programs using virtual reality (VR) are more effective than conventional methods for recover functional capacity in people who have suffered a cerebrovascular accident (CVA or stroke).

This is the main conclusion of a systematic review and meta-analysis carried out by researchers from the Physiotherapy and Nursing departments of the UGR, who have examined scientific evidence about it in different databases.

The studywho has analyzed treatments with 340 patients and has been recently published in the journal Rehabilitation of the Spanish Society of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicinedemonstrates that this innovative technology, applied in controlled sessions, achieves significant improvements in recovery without harmful effects in any case.

Stroke is third cause of death worldwide and the main cause of serious disability in adults, deeply affecting the autonomy and quality of life of those who suffer from it.

Traditional rehabilitation seeks to restore lost functions, but the incorporation of virtual reality opens a new avenue by simulating environments and situations through a computerized system, allowing patients to interact with a wide range of contexts, objects and people in virtual scenarios, with quite promising results.

The work team led by the researcher from the Department of Physiotherapy of the University of Granada Alba Navas Otero has carried out an exhaustive review of the scientific literature available in medical databases such as PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, PEDro and OTSeeker until October 2024.

After analyzing 196 initial articles, the researchers selected six high-quality clinical trials (randomized controlled trials) that met the inclusion criteria.

In total, data from 340 stroke survivors, of whom 173 followed VR therapy and 167 They constituted the control group with traditional methods.

The virtual reality rehabilitation programs They used technologies such as the ArmAble system, the Rehabilitation Gaming System, Wii Fit or Xbox Kinect consoles, and the ARMEO Spring device, among others.

The interventions were administered, on average, in sessions of between 20 and 60 minutes, with a frequency of two to five days per week. The total duration of the treatments ranged from 3 and 8 weeks, which is equivalent to a range of 12 to 30 sessions per patient.

Promising results

The meta-analysis of the data showed that the group that used virtual reality obtained a statistically significant improvement in their functional capacity, compared to the control group.

Those responsible for the study also highlight the fact that in none Of the six included studies, adverse or harmful effects derived from the use of these systems were reported, which supports their safety as a therapeutic tool.

Although virtual reality systems were not originally designed for medical purposes, their adaptation for neurorehabilitation, the result of collaboration between clinicians and patientsis offering visible results.

The authors of the work warn, however, that despite the positive conclusions obtained from this research, more clinical studies are needed to continue exploring the potential of VR. In this way, its application can be optimized, consolidating protocols that guide future clinical practice in the field of neurological rehabilitation.