Virtual reality motor sensing exercise in patients with Parkinson's disease: a scoping review.
Lulu Zou, Xiaoqing Chen, Sisi Lei and 1 others
PMID 40820987WHAT IT FOUND
People with Parkinson's disease in studies of virtual reality movement training often improved on balance and gait tests after training, but outcomes versus usual therapy were inconsistent and only short-term training was studied.
Key findings
01Fourteen studies of virtual reality movement training for Parkinson's disease were included, with sample sizes from 6 to 49 patients.
02Thirteen studies reported improvements compared with before training, and five of twelve studies that compared with controls reported good outcomes.
03No included study reported adverse events, and two studies reported compliance above 75%.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The included studies were small, with sample sizes from 6 to 49 patients. Training lasted 4 to 12 weeks, and the paper says there is no validation of long-term function maintenance. The devices, games, outcome measures, and evaluation tools were inconsistent, so the review cannot identify the best programme. Several control comparisons showed no significant difference, so the evidence does not show clear superiority over usual therapy. Elderly patients may have technical anxiety, and equipment or personnel costs may limit use.
Declared interests
The authors declared no financial support for the research or publication of this article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that virtual reality movement training is better than usual therapy. The review included small, short studies with mixed results, and several control comparisons showed no significant difference, so it cannot identify the best VR device or dose.