This systematic review and meta-analysis looked at how virtual reality (VR) interventions compare to conventional physiotherapy for improving balance in patients with Parkinson's disease. The study included 214 participants, with 109 receiving the VR intervention and 105 receiving standard care. Researchers followed the patients for 3.5 months to see if their balance improved differently between the two groups.
The main measure of balance was the Berg Balance Scale. The analysis found no significant difference in improvement between the VR group and the control group. The average score change was 2.85 points for the VR group and 1.64 points for the control group, a difference that was not statistically significant.
No safety concerns were reported in this review. The findings suggest that VR-based interventions are as effective as conventional physiotherapy for improving balance in the short term. Additionally, combining VR with conventional physiotherapy might offer efficient and tailor-made balance training options for patients.