Table 3.
Subgroup analyses of upper extremity motor function as assessed by the Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity.
| Moderating factors | Number of trials analyzed and number of participants involved | Standardized mean difference (95% CI) | Between-group difference, P value | Subgroup difference, P value | |||||
| Age (years) | |||||||||
|
|
Younger (<60.36) | 14 [32,33,35,40,41,44,46,50,51,53,54,57,58,63]; NVRa group=222, Ncontrol group=213 | 0.54 (0.09 to 1.00) | .02 | .43 | ||||
|
|
Older (≥60.36) | 12 [9,31,36,37,42,43,45,48,55,56,60,65]; NVR group=278, Ncontrol group=270 | 0.35 (0.18 to 0.52) | <.001 | .43 | ||||
| Stroke recovery stage | |||||||||
|
|
Subacute stroke | 13 [9,31,36,37,41-44,46,52,57,63,65]; NVR group=273, Ncontrol group=266 | 0.27 (0.04 to 0.50) | .02 | .16 | ||||
|
|
Chronic stroke | 15 [32,33,35,40,45,48,50-56,58,60]; NVR group=253, Ncontrol group=243 | 0.60 (0.21 to 1.00) | .003 | .16 | ||||
| Type of VR program used | |||||||||
|
|
Specialized program designed for rehabilitation | 20 [9,35,40-43,45,46,48,50,52-58,63,65]; NVR group=371, Ncontrol group=364 | 0.44 (0.15 to 0.74) | .003 | .90 | ||||
|
|
Commercial game | 8 [31-33,36,37,44,51,60]; NVR group=155, Ncontrol group=145 | 0.47 (0.10 to 0.85) | .01 | .90 | ||||
| Therapy delivery format | |||||||||
|
|
VR-supported exercise therapy alone compared with no therapy | 1 [33]; NVR group=17, Ncontrol group=10 | 1.10 (0.27 to 1.94) | .01 | .12 | ||||
|
|
VR-supported exercise therapy alone compared with conventional therapy | 7 [37,45,48,50,51,55,56]; NVR group=103, Ncontrol group=100 | 0.25 (−0.03 to 0.53) | .08 | .12 | ||||
|
|
VR-supported exercise therapy+conventional therapy compared with conventional therapy | 20 [9,31,32,35,36,40-44,46,52-54,57,58,60,63,65]; NVR group=406, Ncontrol group=399 | 0.50 (0.20 to 0.81) | .001 | .12 | ||||
| Similarity of intervention duration between groups | |||||||||
|
|
Same intervention duration in both VR and control groups | 21 [9,32,37,40-46,48,50-52,54-56,58,63,65]; NVR group=424, Ncontrol group=418 | 0.44 (0.16 to 0.73) | .002 | .14 | ||||
|
|
Longer intervention duration in VR groups | 4 [31,33,57,60]; NVR group=63, Ncontrol group=50 | 0.81 (0.42 to 1.20) | <.001 | .14 | ||||
| Intervention duration in VR groups (hours) | |||||||||
|
|
≤15 | 11 [33,37,41,45,48,50-52,57,63]; NVR group=128, Ncontrol group=119 | 0.37 (0.05 to 0.69) | .02 | .43 | ||||
|
|
>15 | 14 [9,31,32,35,42-44,46,54-56,58,60,65]; NVR group=360, Ncontrol group=353 | 0.56 (0.21 to 0.91) | .002 | .43 | ||||
| Trial length | |||||||||
|
|
2 weeks to 1 month | 23 [9,31,33,35-37,41-44,46,50-58,63,65]; NVR group=445, Ncontrol group=428 | 0.43 (0.16 to 0.69) | .002 | .47 | ||||
|
|
>1 and ≤2 months | 4 [32,45,48,60]; NVR group=64, Ncontrol group=65 | 0.68 (0.18 to 1.18) | .01 | .47 | ||||
|
|
>2 and ≤3 months | 1 [40]; NVR group=17, Ncontrol group=16 | 0.16 (−0.53 to 0.84) | .65 | .47 | ||||
aVR: virtual reality.