An overview of the use of virtual reality in stroke rehabilitation

Stroke rehabilitation has been dominated by conventional methods such as the Bobath approach and exercise. However, these methods alone make it difficult to achieve the number of sessions and repetitions required to improve motor and cognitive function. Virtual reality is a new innovative technology that supports other conventional therapy methods. The authors carried out a review using the PubMed and ScienceDirect databases. A combination of keywords and phrases was used: ‘Virtual reality’ or ‘Virtual reality and stroke rehabilitation’ or ‘Virtual reality and stroke upper limb’ or ‘Virtual reality in stroke and cognition’. Selection criteria included clinical trials, meta-analyses, pilot studies and systematic reviews that reviewed or assessed the use of virtual reality in all aspects of stroke rehabilitation. The article concludes that the implementation and use of virtual reality devices is growing rapidly, and virtual reality has become an effective treatment intervention in stroke rehabilitation.