Effect of Virtual Reality on Neural Recovery in Patients with Stroke: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Stroke is a vascular injury of the brain that leads to neurological deficits and significant disabilities. Mirroring interventions such as virtual reality (VR) have proven to be effective in several studies. However, no study has systematically reviewed their effects on neural recovery in stroke patients. Objectives: To systematically review research on the effects of virtual reality (VR) on neural recovery in post-stroke patients to find the best evidence. Methods: Four electronic databases; Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and PEDro; were searched for articles published between 2011 and 2022. This trial included English randomized controlled trials that compared VR with other comparators in patients with stroke. The PEDro scale was used to assess the quality of the eligible studies. Results: Eight studies with 220 participants were included. All the studies were good to excellent on the PEDro scale. Virtual reality had strong evidence for improving neural recovery in patients with stroke. Conclusion:Virtual reality should be added to the traditional rehabilitation program for patients with stroke to improve neural recovery in patients with stroke. Improved neural recovery may be a mechanism beyond improved motor recovery after rehabilitation with VR.