{
  "abstract": "Background and objectives: Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used to improve balance and reduce fear of falling in older adults, but comparative effectiveness of different VR types remains unclear. This network meta-analysis (NMA) aimed to compare and rank the efficacy of various VR interventions against usual care for static balance, dynamic balance, and fear of falling.\n\nMethods: Two investigators independently searched Embase, PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, CNKI, and VIP for RCTs published from inception to May 30, 2026. Eligible studies included older adults receiving VR versus usual care or active control, with outcomes measured by validated tools. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2. A random-effects consistency model was applied, using MDs or SMDs with 95% CIs.\n\nResults: Nineteen RCTs (1,815 participants) were included. For static balance, Kinect (MD = 6.83, 95% CI: 1.78–11.89), IVR (6.80, 0.28–13.30), and Wii (3.89, 0.34–7.44) significantly outperformed UC; SUCRA rankings placed Kinect first (82.2%), followed by IVR (78.1%) and BTSNVR (56.8%). For dynamic balance, BTSNVR (SMD = −3.66, −5.22 to −1.20), Wii (−2.79, −3.93 to −1.66), Kinect (−1.87, −2.53 to −1.22), and AC (−1.66, −2.35 to −0.97) were superior to UC; SUCRA ranked BTSNVR best (87.5%), Wii (82.0%), and Kinect (57.1%). For fear of falling, only Kinect showed significant reduction (SMD = −3.52, −5.48 to −1.56), ranking highest (78.7%), with IVR (66.3%) and BTSNVR (60.9%) less effective. However, several comparisons were based on few studies, so findings are preliminary.\n\nConclusion: Specific VR interventions offer distinct advantages: Kinect may benefit static balance and fear reduction, while BTSNVR improves dynamic balance. Rankings should be interpreted cautiously. Larger head-to-head RCTs with standardized protocols and longer follow-up are needed to validate these findings and establish clinical recommendations.\n\nSystematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261464816 , CRD420261464816.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Shandong Institute of Sport Science",
    "Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine",
    "Shandong Public Health Clinical Center",
    "Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Chinese Medicine"
  ],
  "article_type": "systematic review",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Meng Tian"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Qiang Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Tianwei Lou"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/04xexxpn02d8t.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fpubh.2026.1973306",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13727423/?tool=EBI",
  "id": "04xexxpn02d8t",
  "issns": [
    "2296-2565"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1973306/full",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Systematic Review"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3612|Balance, Gait, and Falls Prevention"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7222998987",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1973306/pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13727423",
  "pmid": "42978637",
  "published": "2026-10-20",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/04xexxpn02d8t.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:24Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fpubh.2026.1973306",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1973306/full"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-04T15:20:46Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13727423",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727423"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-06T12:23:18Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13727423",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1973306"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "issn:2296-2565",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Comparative efficacy of different virtual reality-based interventions for static balance, dynamic balance, and fear of falling in older adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis",
  "title_text": "Comparative efficacy of different virtual reality-based interventions for static balance, dynamic balance, and fear of falling in older adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-07T12:20:36Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/04xexxpn02d8t",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Public Health",
  "versions": []
}