Skip to main content

Table 3 Overview of selected studies and their characteristics

From: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of virtual reality as an exercise intervention for individuals with a respiratory condition

Authors (year) country [reference]

Study type

Characteristics of participants

Duration

Intervention characteristics

G: Game type

E: Exercise type

C: Console enhancement

F: Frequency

I: Intensity

T: Time

Comparator(s)

N

Age ± SD and gender

Condition

Del Corral et al. (2018) Spain [19]

RCT

40 (20 intervention and 20 control)

Intervention: 12.6 ± 3.4 years old, 10 m/10f

Control: 11 ± 3 years old, 11 m/9f

Cystic fibrosis

6 weeks

12 months

G: Routine mx and normal exercise routine and Wii Fit Plus

E: Full body

C: Wii Fit balance board

F: 5 days/week

I: 70-80% MHR

T: 30-60 min

Routine mx and normal exercise routine and home gaming program as above

G: Wii Fit

F: 2 days/week

I: 70-80% MHR

T: 20 min

Routine management and normal exercise routine

Routine management and normal exercise routine

Gomes et al. (2015) Brazil [7]

RCT

36 (20 intervention and 16 Control)

Intervention: 7.5 ± 1.9yo, 7 m / 13f

Control:

8 ± 2 years old, 7 m/9f

Asthma

8 weeks

G: Xbox Kinect “Reflex Ridge”

E: Full body

C: Virtual trainer

F: 2 days/week

I: Incremental increase (mean 90.5% MHR)

T: 10 × 3 min, 30 s rest in between

F: 2 days/week

I: Incremental increase (mean 65.2% MHR)

T: Treadmill

T: 30mins

Sutanto et al. (2019) Italy [20]

RCT

20 (10 intervention & 10 control)

Intervention: 65.1 ± 7.5 years old, 9 m/1f

Control:

65.6 ± 4.7 years old, 10 m/0f

COPD

6 weeks

G: Wii Fit “Torso Twist” “Balance board,” “Free run” “Balance games”* and “Cycle”*

E: Full body, lower limb only*

C: Wii remote, balance board, and cycle

F: 3 days/week

I: Modified Borg scale: 5

T: 30 min each

F: 3 days/week

I: Modified Borg scale: 5

T: Cycle

T: 30mins

Kuys et al. (2011) Australia [21]

Randomized Cross-over study

19

28 ± 7 years old, 10 m/9f

Cystic fibrosis

2 days

G: Wii Active

E: Full body

C: Arm and leg straps motion detection

F: 1 session

I: Borg scale: 3-5

T: 15 min

F: 1 session

I: Borg scale: 3-5

T: Treadmill/cycle

T: 15mins

LeGear et al. (2016) Canada [22]

Randomized Cross-over study

10

65 ± 8.7 years old, 5 m/5f

COPD

1 day

G: Wii Active

F: 1 session

I: Borg scale: 3-5/RPE: 14-16

T: 152009min

F: 1 session

I: Borg scale: 3-5/RPE: 14-16

T: Treadmill

T: 15mins

Salonini et al. (2015) Italy [23]

Randomized Cross-over study

30

12 ± 2.5 years old, 11 m/19f

Cystic fibrosis

3 days

G: Xbox Kinect Adventures “River Rush”

E: Full body

C: Virtual trainer

F: 1 session

I: Game pre-set difficulty level (easy, intermediate, and difficult)

T: 6 min × 3, 1 min rest in between

F: 1 session

I: 80% of MHR

T: Cycle

T: 20mins

de Corral et al. (2014) Spain [11]

Observational cross-sectional study

24

12.6 ± 3.7 years old, 16 m/8f

Cystic fibrosis

Unclear

G: Wii Fit Plus/Wii Active/Wii Family Trainer

E: Full body

C: Wii balance board

F: 2 sessions

I: NA

T: 5 min each, 30 min rest in between

6MWT

Frade et al. (2019) Brazil [24]

Observational cross-sectional study

50

66.7 ± 7.2 years old, 31 m/19f

COPD

1 week

G: Stationary avatar Walk “Gesture Maps” with VR, Xbox Kinect

E: Full body

F: 2 sessions

I: NA

T: 6 min

6MWT

Holmes et al. (2013) Australia [9]

Observational cross-sectional study

10

29 ± 6 years old, 6 m/4f

Cystic fibrosis

10 days

G: Xbox Kinect “Your Shape Fitness Evolved”

E: Full body

C: Virtual trainer

F: 1 session

I: NA

T: 20 min

CPET

Liu et al. (2016) Netherlands [17]

Observational, cross-sectional study

109 (61 intervention +48 healthy control)

Intervention: 61.9 ± 6.8 years old, 38 m/23f

Control:

61.6 ± 6.1 years old, 22 m/26f

COPD

2 days

G: GRAIL 6MWT

E: Full body

C: VICON motion analysis system

F: 2 session

I: NA

T: 45 min

6MWT

O’Donovan et al. (2014) Ireland [25]

Observational, cross-sectional study

60 (30 intervention and 30 healthy control)

Intervention: 12.3 ± 2.6 years old, 17 m/13f

Control:

12.2 ± 2.7 years old, 17 m/13f

Cystic fibrosis

1 day

F: 1 session

I: NA

G: Wii Sports Boxing and Wii Fit Jogging

E: Full body

C: Wii remote controller

T: 15 min each with 5 min rest in between

6MWT

Butler et al. (2019) Canada [6]

Systematic review

6 studies

NA

Chronic respiratory diseases

NA

G: Xbox “Kinect Adventures” and Wii Fit “Jogging, Boxing & Dancing”

E: Full body

C: Wii Balance board, Virtual trainer

Treadmill, cycle, pulmonary rehabilitation

Carbonera et al. (2016) Brazil [26]

Systematic review

5 studies

NA

Cystic fibrosis

NA

G: Xbox Kinect “Your Shape Fitness Evolved” and “River Rush” and Wii Fit Free/Fit Plus/EA Sports Active/Family Trainer Extreme challenge

E: Full body

C: Wii Fit balance board, virtual trainer

Cycle, 6MWT, cardiopulmonary exercise test

Simmich et al. (2019) Australia [13]

Systematic review, meta-analysis

12 studies

NA

Respiratory conditions

NA

G: Xbox Kinect, Nintendo Wii and PC customized spirometer game

E: Full body and respiratory exercises

CPET, incremental shuttle walk test, 6MWT, rest only

Sánchez et al. (2019) Spain [15]

Systematic review

9 studies

NA

Obstructive respiratory disease

NA

G: Wii Active, Xbox Kinect Adventure, Wii Fit, PC “The Asthma Files,” Super Nintendo “Bronkie’s Asthma Adventure” PC “Magic School Bus,” “Wee Willie Wheezie,” PC “WDTA” pediatric self-management of asthma game, PC Asthma Control, and PC “Asthma Command”

E: Full body, education, and respiratory exercise

C: Computer or game console, Wii controller, Wii Balance Board Spirometer

Routine treatment, treadmill, pulmonary rehabilitation, asthma information booklet, irrelevant Super Nintendo game, non-educational PC games, verbal asthma management plan

  1. Abbreviations: MHR maximal heart rate, RPE rating of perceived exertion, CPET cardiopulmonary exercise test, 6MWT 6-min walking test, PC personal computer, WDTA watch discover, think and act
  2. *Target lower limb only