Virtual reality rehabilitation showed better balance scores after intensive care
Balance scores favored virtual reality. Sleep ratings and cognitive scores also favored it, but evidence was less certain; other results were inconclusive.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Among adults receiving intensive care, early virtual reality rehabilitation showed the clearest follow-up evidence for better balance scores. Anxiety and limb-movement estimates were inconclusive, and pain and objective sleep measures showed no statistically significant differences. The abstract suggests possible benefits on selected scores, with limited certainty overall.
The abstract reports high risk of bias, study differences and imprecision. No serious adverse events were reported, but few studies described mild reactions, so the safety assessment remains limited.
What researchers found
Berg Balance Scale scores
Virtual reality versus controls within 3 months after intensive care; 95% prediction interval 0.37–1.58. Evidence certainty: moderate.
How to read the effect
A standard deviation describes how much scores vary within a group. The standardized mean difference (SMD) of 0.97 means a gap of 0.97 standard deviations favoring virtual reality. It is neither a Berg-scale point difference nor a percentage improvement.
Why the intervals differ
The confidence interval (CI) describes uncertainty around the pooled average effect. The prediction interval estimates where effects could fall in comparable settings, allowing for differences between studies. Neither range predicts how much an individual patient would improve.
The original publication
Effectiveness of Virtual Reality-Based Early Rehabilitation Strategies on Pain, Sleep, Anxiety, Balance, Cognition, and Limb Motor Function in Adult Intensive Care Unit Patients: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Wu F, Wu Y, Xing Y et al.
J Med Internet Res · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41813248
- Record checked
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