Overview

• The Cochrane Database review’s fourth update synthesizes results from 190 trials involving 7,188 participants to assess VR in post-stroke arm recovery.
• Findings indicate that adding VR to standard therapy yields modest gains in arm function and daily activity compared with conventional care alone.
• Researchers found that VR’s interactive nature can safely extend rehabilitation time with rare and mild adverse effects.
• Only a minority of studies have evaluated immersive head-mounted systems, leaving their impact on functional task performance uncertain.
• The review authors call for larger, well-designed trials to establish optimal immersive and task-specific VR rehabilitation protocols.