SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1579909
The study of the effect of virtual reality technology combined with sports games on improving cognitive function in patients with brain injury: A Meta Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Provisionally accepted
- 1Henan Sport University, Zhengzhou, China
- 2Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
- 3Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
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Abstract: (1) Background: Brain injury is a major public health issue causing cognitive impairment. Key types include traumatic, ischemic, neurological, infectious, metabolic injuries, and stroke. As populations age, brain injury rates rise, making effective cognitive rehabilitation methods increasingly urgent. Virtual reality sports games, blending immersion and training, offer a new rehab solution. (2) Methods: Firstly, we registered in the International Prospective Systematic Review Registry (PROSPERO) website. A total of 12 randomized controlled trials were included in this Meta-analysis. Data were analyzed by Meta-analysis using the random effects model in State statistical software. The primary outcome indicator of the study was cognitive function. (3) Results: This study included 12 RCTs with 540 participants to evaluate the impact of virtual reality exercise on cognitive function in brain-injured patients. The analysis revealed significant cognitive improvement with an SMD of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.59, 1.17), p=0.019, and I²=51.9% using a random effects model. Sensitivity analysis confirmed robust findings with no significant single study effects. Symmetric funnel plots indicated no publication bias. These results support virtual reality as an effective cognitive intervention for brain-injured patients. (4) Conclusion: Virtual reality (VR) sports games significantly enhanced cognitive function, coordination, and reaction speed in brain-injured pa-tients, thereby boosting their learning motivation and engagement.
Keywords: Virtual game technology, Brain-injured patients, Cognitive Function, rct, Novel rehabilitation modality
Received: 19 Feb 2025; Accepted: 22 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yuze, Haojie and Hong. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xiao Hong, Henan Sport University, Zhengzhou, China
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