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Virtual Reality Interventions for Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Yang Q, Zhang L, Chang F, Yang H, Chen B, Liu Z.. Journal of medical Internet research, 2025-01-10
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Two reviewers independently screened the search results and reference lists of the identified papers and related reviews. Results This review analyzed 18 studies involving 722 older adults with MCI. VR interventions showed significant improvements in memory (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.2, 95% CI 0.02-0.38), attention and information processing speed (SMD 0.25, 95% CI 0.06-0.45), and executive function (SMD 0.22, 95% CI 0.02-0.42). VR cognitive training also resulted in significant improvements in attention and information processing speed in older adults with MCI (SMD 0.31, 95% CI 0.05-0.58). In addition, immersive VR had a significant impact on improving attention and information processing speed (SMD 0.25; 95% CI 0.01-0.50) and executive function (SMD 0.25; 95% CI 0.00-0.50). The quality of evidence is moderate to low, and further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore additional health-related outcomes.
Key findings
- Two reviewers independently screened the search results and reference lists of the identified papers and related reviews.
- Results This review analyzed 18 studies involving 722 older adults with MCI.
- VR interventions showed significant improvements in memory (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.2, 95% CI 0.02-0.38), attention and information processing speed (SMD 0.25, 95% CI 0.06-0.45), and executive function (SMD 0.22, 95% CI 0.02-0.42).
- VR cognitive training also resulted in significant improvements in attention and information processing speed in older adults with MCI (SMD 0.31, 95% CI 0.05-0.58).
- In addition, immersive VR had a significant impact on improving attention and information processing speed (SMD 0.25; 95% CI 0.01-0.50) and executive function (SMD 0.25; 95% CI 0.00-0.50).
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Study details
- Study designmeta-analysis
- Participants18
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 79/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 46 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 79 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of medical Internet research) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A meta-analysis pooling many studies |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 18 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39793970) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 46 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 46 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 79 out of 100. |
| Total | 79 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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APA 7th
Yang, Q., Zhang, L., Chang, F., Yang, H., Chen, B., & Liu, Z. (2025). Virtual Reality Interventions for Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of medical Internet research. https://doi.org/10.2196/59195
Vancouver
Yang Q, Zhang L, Chang F, Yang H, Chen B, Liu Z. Virtual Reality Interventions for Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of medical Internet research. 2025. doi:10.2196/59195. PMID: 39793970.
BibTeX
@article{yang2025-39793970,
author = {Yang, Q. and Zhang, L. and Chang, F. and Yang, H. and Chen, B. and Liu, Z.},
title = {{Virtual Reality Interventions for Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials}},
journal = {Journal of medical Internet research},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.2196/59195},
pmid = {39793970},
url = {https://doi.org/10.2196/59195}
}