Virtual Reality for Stroke Rehabilitation

<LEAP> highlights the findings and application of Cochrane reviews and other evidence pertinent to the practice of physical therapy. The Cochrane Library is a respected source of reliable evidence related to health care. Cochrane systematic reviews explore the evidence for and against the effectiveness and appropriateness of interventions—medications, surgery, education, nutrition, exercises—and the evidence for and against the use of diagnostic tests for specific conditions. Cochrane reviews are designed to facilitate the decisions of clinicians, patients, and others in health care by providing a careful review and interpretation of research studies published in the scientific literature.¹ Each article in this PTJ series will summarize a Cochrane review or other scientific evidence resource on a single topic and will present clinical scenarios based on real patients to illustrate how the results of the review can be used to directly inform clinical decisions. This article focuses on the effectiveness of virtual reality for stroke rehabilitation. Can virtual reality systems be incorporated as part of or instead of usual rehabilitation programs for a person after stroke?

Stroke is the second leading cause of death around the world and one of the main causes of years living with disability in adults.^2,3 A stroke is caused by a disruption of the blood supply to the brain because an artery to the brain is either blocked (ischaemic stroke) or bursts (hemorrhagic stroke), causing damage to the brain tissue.⁴ After a stroke, physical impairments such as weakness and loss of coordination are common.^5,6 These impairments cause limitations in mobility and upper limb activities, restricting the person with stroke from returning to his or her everyday activities.^7,8

Several treatment options are available for patients after stroke, with varied evidence to support them.^{9,10 …}