Summary

The purpose of this study is to examine and summarize the current evidence regarding the effects of virtual reality (VR) on physical, cognitive, and psychological outcomes in cancer rehabilitation

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Research

Seventeen studies including 799 patients with cancer were identified. Within-group pooled analysis indicated that patients demonstrated significant improvement in pain (P < 0.001), fatigue (P < 0.001), anxiety (P < 0.001), upper extremity function (P < 0.001), and quality of life (P = 0.008) after VR intervention. Between-group pooled analysis indicated significant improvements with VR in pain (P = 0.004), anxiety (P < 0.001), and upper extremity function (P < 0.001) compared with the control. Three studies reported the positive effects of VR on cognition.

Conclusions: VR demonstrates promising effects in physical, cognitive, and psychological aspects of patients with cancer. VR can be incorporated into a comprehensive cancer rehabilitation program to alleviate impairments and functional limitations.

The full study can be read linked below

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References

Hao J, Li Y, Swanson R, Chen Z, Siu KC. Effects of virtual reality on physical, cognitive, and psychological outcomes in cancer rehabilitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Support Care Cancer. 2023 Jan 12;31(2):112. doi: 10.1007/s00520-022-07568-4. PMID: 36633695.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36633695/