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Efficacy of Virtual Reality-Based Interventions on Cognitive Function in Patients With Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

JMIR Serious Games · 2025-05-08

DOI: 10.2196/67501PMID: 40341171

Open accessreview-article; Review; Journal ArticleOriginal source ↗

Research overview

The text below is the source article’s original abstract under a verified reuse license. cc by

BackgroundVirtual reality (VR) technology has emerged as a promising tool for cognitive rehabilitation in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders. These patients often endure significant cognitive impairments, which are associated with decreased quality of life and increased disease burden. Traditional treatments are limited in improving cognitive functions, making VR-based interventions an area of growing interest.ObjectiveThis meta-analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy of VR-based interventions on cognitive function in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders by synthesizing data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs).MethodsFollowing PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a comprehensive search across PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library for RCTs from January 2010 to December 2024. Studies were included if they evaluated the impact of VR-based interventions on cognitive outcomes in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were performed independently by 2 researchers. Meta-analyses were conducted using random-effects models, and standardized mean differences (SMDs) as effect size.ResultsA total of 21 RCTs involving 1051 participants were included. Overall, VR-based interventions significantly improved cognitive functions of patients with neuropsychiatric disorders (SMD 0.67, 95% CI 0.33-1.01, z=3.85; PConclusionsThis meta-analysis revealed that VR-based interventions can improve cognitive functions among individuals with neuropsychiatric disorders, with notable improvements observed in cognitive rehabilitation training, exergame-based training, and tele-rehabilitation and social functioning training. These results offer valuable evidence supporting the use of VR technology in rehabilitation for neuropsychiatric conditions and inform the optimization of future intervention approaches.

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