Virtual reality augments effectiveness of treadmill walking training in patients with walking and balance impairments: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Study Goal
To examine whether combining virtual reality with treadmill training improves walking and balance outcomes compared to treadmill-only training in patients with impairments.
Results Summary
Virtual reality augmented treadmill training significantly improved walking speed and balance compared to treadmill-only training, supported by level 1A evidence. The results indicate clinically meaningful enhancements in mobility outcomes.
Population
Patients with walking and balance impairments.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
virtual reality augmented treadmill training | increase | walking speed | patients with walking and balance impairments | - | induced significantly faster walking | #1 |
virtual reality augmented treadmill training | increase | walking distance | patients with walking and balance impairments | - | induced significantly longer walking | #2 |
virtual reality augmented treadmill training | increase | walking balance | patients with walking and balance impairments | - | induced significantly better walking | #3 |
virtual reality augmented treadmill walking training | increase | outcomes | patients with walking and balance impairments | - | enhances outcomes | #4 |
OBJECTIVE: To systematically summarize and examine current evidence regarding the combination of virtual reality and treadmill training in patients with walking and balance impairments. DATA SOURCES: English language randomized controlled trials, participants with walking and balance impairments, intervention group used virtual reality and treadmill, control group only used treadmill with the same training frequency and number of sessions. Six bioscience and engineering databases were searched. METHODS: Two independent reviewers conducted study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. Methodological quality was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. RESULTS: Sixteen randomized controlled trials including 829 participants were identified. Compared to treadmill-only training, virtual reality augmented treadmill training induced significantly faster walking ( CONCLUSIONS: Virtual reality augmented treadmill walking training enhances outcomes compared to treadmill-only training in patients with walking and balance impairments. The results of this review support the clinical significance of combining virtual reality with treadmill training with level 1A empirical evidence.