The impact of immersive and non-immersive virtual reality trend in sensorimotor recvovery of post stroke patients

Abstract

 Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability worldwide, often resulting in sensorimotor impairments. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as an innovative rehabilitation tool offering immersive and non-immersive environments to enhance post-stroke motor recovery. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of immersive and non-immersive VR interventions on sensorimotor recovery in post-stroke patients. Following PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, a comprehensive search was conducted across Google Scholar, PEDro, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science for randomized controlled trials published in English between 2010 and 2020. Studies involving post-stroke patients aged above 18 years were included, comparing VR-based rehabilitation with traditional physiotherapy. The primary outcome was the Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale for the upper extremity.  Data from eligible trials demonstrated moderate effect sizes (SMD = 0.498) favoring VR interventions over conventional therapy. Statistical analysis revealed significant heterogeneity (I² = 74.68%, p < 0.0001), but the overall risk of bias was low across studies. The findings support the use of both immersive and non-immersive VR modalities in stroke rehabilitation, showing significant improvement in upper extremity motor function across all phases of stroke recovery compared to control interventions.