Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40808917›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in neurology2025

Effectiveness of virtual reality for functional disorders in cerebral palsy: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Enhui Fang, Hui Guan, Binhong Du, Xuejun Ma, Lihong Ma

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Enhui FangSchool of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
Hui GuanSchool of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
Binhong DuDepartment of Rehabilitation, Jinan Children's Hospital, Jinan, China.
Xuejun MaDepartment of Rehabilitation, Jinan Children's Hospital, Jinan, China.
Lihong MaSchool of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: Cerebral palsy (CP), a pediatric neuromotor disorder, profoundly impacts functional independence and participation. Virtual reality (VR) has developed as a potential neurorehabilitation tool, yet its therapeutic efficacy remains inconsistently validated. This overview aims to synthesize evidence from systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) to evaluate VR's effectiveness in CP rehabilitation. Methods: Systematic searches across ten databases-Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, JBI, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), China Bio-Medical Literature Service System (Sino-Med), and Wanfang Database-identified SRs/MAs on VR for CP from inception to November 10, 2024. The duplicate rate of primary studies was assessed by calculating the corrected covered area (CCA) through the establishment of a literature overlap matrix. Methodological rigor, reporting quality, bias risk, and evidence quality were appraised using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 (PRISMA2020), the Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews (ROBIS), and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) tools, respectively. Results: Sixteen SRs/MAs (5 low quality, 11 very low quality, according to AMSTAR-2) were included. The CCA was calculated as 0.135, indicating a high degree of overlap. PRISMA 2020 compliance revealed incomplete reporting in 37% of items. ROBIS indicated low bias risk in 13 studies. GRADE assessments classified 58 outcomes: 9 moderate (15.5%), 21 low (36.2%), and 28 very low (48.3%) quality. VR demonstrated clinical potential for improving motor function and activities of daily living (ADL), particularly in younger children with higher intervention dosages. However, heterogeneity in outcome measures, CP subtypes, and VR protocols limited generalizability. Conclusion: VR shows potential in improving motor dysfunction and ADL in CP. However, the included SRs/MAs typically exhibited low methodological and evidence quality. Therefore, caution must be taken when interpreting these findings. Moreover, high-quality randomized controlled trials and standardized VR protocols are urgently needed to establish evidence-based guidelines for CP rehabilitation. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024614631, CRD42024614631.

Indexed as

cerebral palsyneurorehabilitationoverviewsystematic reviewvirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID40808917
PMCPMC12344382

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.