Department of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Opole University of Technology, 45-758 Opole, Poland.
Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technologies, IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, 30126 Venice, Italy.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 18;19(10):6155. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19106155.
It is estimated that over 400 million people worldwide experience some form of urinary incontinence (UI). Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is commonly used in cases of urine loss. Game therapy (GT) has been suggested as a new conservative modality for UI treatments. GT represents a form of virtual reality (VR) that allows users to interact with elements of a simulated scenario. The purpose of this review was to assess the potential of using VR-based PFMT in the treatment of UI with a particular focus on the impact of this form of therapy on the patients' muscle function, symptoms of UI and quality of life (QoL). The following electronic databases were searched: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Web of Science. Systematic review methods were based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement. Electronic medical databases were searched from inception to 28 January 2021. From a total of 38 articles, 26 were analyzed after removing duplicates, then 22 records were excluded according to inclusion criteria and 4 were assessed as full texts. Finally, 2 randomized controlled trials (RCT) with 79 patients were included. For the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF), the meta-analysis showed a significant difference in favor of the control condition (MD = 2.22; 95% CI 0.42, 4.01; I = 0%). Despite the popularity of the use of VR in rehabilitation, we found a scarcity of literature evaluating the application of VR in the field of UI therapy. Only one study matched all of the criteria established. The effects of VR training improved PFM function and QoL; however, these changes were comparable to those of traditional PFMT. It is not possible to reach final conclusions from one study; thus, further development of VR interventions in the field of UI treatments are needed.
据估计，全球有超过 4 亿人患有某种形式的尿失禁（UI）。盆底肌训练（PFMT）常用于治疗尿失禁。游戏疗法（GT）已被提议作为治疗 UI 的一种新的保守方法。GT 是一种虚拟现实（VR）形式，允许用户与模拟场景中的元素互动。本综述的目的是评估基于 VR 的 PFMT 在治疗 UI 中的潜力，特别关注这种治疗形式对患者肌肉功能、UI 症状和生活质量（QoL）的影响。以下电子数据库被搜索：PubMed、Embase、Cochrane 图书馆、Scopus 和 Web of Science。系统评价方法基于 PRISMA（系统评价和荟萃分析的首选报告项目）声明。从 2021 年 1 月 28 日开始，电子医学数据库被搜索。在总共 38 篇文章中，在去除重复项后分析了 26 篇，然后根据纳入标准排除了 22 条记录，评估了 4 篇作为全文。最后，2 项 RCT 纳入了 79 名患者。对于国际尿失禁咨询问卷-短表（ICIQ-SF），荟萃分析显示对照组有显著差异（MD=2.22；95%CI 0.42，4.01；I=0%）。尽管 VR 在康复中的应用很流行，但我们发现评估 VR 在 UI 治疗领域应用的文献很少。只有一项研究符合所有既定标准。VR 训练改善了 PFM 功能和 QoL；然而，这些变化与传统 PFMT 相当。一项研究无法得出最终结论；因此，需要进一步开发 VR 干预措施来治疗 UI。
