Cochrane Review Shows Virtual Reality May Help Regain Arm Movement in Stroke Survivors

New Delhi: A Cochrane review has found that virtual reality, when used in addition to standard therapy, can help stroke survivors regain arm movement. The findings suggested that virtual reality could be a promising tool to boost rehabilitation efforts, particularly by increasing the amount of therapy patients receive.

This is the fourth update of a Cochrane review first released in 2011 and now includes data from 190 trials involving 7,188 participants—with 119 new studies added since the previous version in 2017. The review assessed a wide range of virtual reality technologies, from simple screen-based gaming to immersive, head-mounted devices specifically developed for rehabilitation settings.

A team of Cochrane authors found that virtual reality, when compared to conventional therapy, may slightly improve arm function and activity. More promising effects were seen when virtual reality was added to usual care, increasing total therapy time and leading to greater gains in arm function.

The review also found virtual reality may be beneficial for improving balance and reducing activity limitations, though effects on mobility, participation, and quality of life remain uncertain due to limited or low-certainty evidence.

Despite the growing number of studies, many trials were small and used basic or low-cost virtual reality technologies, such as off-the-shelf gaming systems. Few studies evaluated immersive, head-mounted systems, and their effectiveness is still unclear.

“This technology has the potential to simulate real-life environments, such as shopping in a supermarket or crossing a street, which allows clinicians to trial tasks that are unsafe to practice in the real world,” said Professor Laver. “Yet we’re still seeing simple VR interventions dominate the research. There’s a real opportunity for researchers to go further and develop more sophisticated, function-focused therapies.”

While adverse events were monitored in many of the included studies, they were rare and mild, suggesting that virtual reality is generally safe and well tolerated.

Reference: Laver KE, Lange B, George S, Deutsch JE, Saposnik G, Chapman M, Crotty M. Virtual reality for stroke rehabilitation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2025, Issue 6. Art. No.: CD008349. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD008349.pub5. Accessed 21 June 2025.