Table 2 Summary of studies

Duque et al. [42]

n = 70 participants (VR group = 30; control group = 40)

Mean age: VR group 79.3 ± 10; control group 75 ± 8

Gender: RV group = 19 (63%) women; control group = 24 (61%) women

BRU^TM (Balance Rehabilitation Unit)

Frequency of intervention: 2 times a week during 6 weeks

Intensity and timing of intervention: 30 min Volume of therapy: 360 min.

Invitation to join an exercise program based on the Otago protocol, medication review, hearing and visual assessment, and education materials on falls prevention

Postural assessment (BRU)

Gait assessment (Gate rite)

Grip strength (hand dynamometer)

Serum measurements (serum 25(OH)D3, parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium, creatinine, and albumin)

Depression (Geriatric Depression Scale)

Height (digital stadiometer)

Nutritional assessment (body mass index and Mini-Nutritional Assessment tool)

Fear of falling in the elderly (SAFFE)

Adherence

Jung et al. [38]

n = 24 participants (VR group = 8; control group = 8; LSE group = 8)

Mean age: VR group = 74.3 ± 2; control group = 73.6 ± 2.4; LSE group = 74.3 ± 3.5

Gender: 100% women

Nintendo Wii

Frequency of intervention: 2 times a week during 8 weeks

Intensity and timing of intervention: 30 min. Volume of therapy: 480 min

Control: no intervention

LSE group: lumbar stabilization exercise (LSE)

Berg Balance Scale (BBS)

Functional Reach Test (FRT),

Timed Up and Go (TUG) test

Crossing velocity (CV) for obstacle gait

Maximum vertical heel clearance (MVHC) for obstacle gait

Padala et al. [37]

n = 30 participants (RV group = 15; control group = 15)

Mean age: VR group = 67.5 ± 8.1; control group = 69±3.8

Gender: VR group = 2 (13.3%) women; control group = 2 (13.3%) women

Nintendo Wii

Frequency of intervention: 3 days per week for 8 weeks

Intensity and timing of intervention: 45 min Volume of therapy: 1080 min.

Cognitive exercises (BrainFitness HAPPYneuron Inc., Lyon, France)

Berg Balance Scale (BBS)

Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale

Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES)

Modified Mini Mental State Exam (3MS)

Rand Short Form 36 (SF-36)

Jorgensen et al. [36]

n = 58 participants (RV group = 28; control group = 30)

Mean age: VR group = 75.9 ± 5.7; control group = 73.7 ± 6.1

Gender: VR group = 19 (68%) women; control group = 21 (70%) women

Nintendo Wii

Frequency of intervention: 2 days per week for 10 weeks

Intensity and timing of intervention: 70 min Volume of therapy: 1400 min

Wear EVA insoles in their shoes everyday for the entire duration of the trial

Maximal isometric contraction strength (maximal voluntary contraction [MVC]) of the leg extensors

Center of pressure velocity moment (CoP-VM; mm²/s)

Rapid Force Capacity (contractile RFD)

Timed Up and Go (TUG) test

Short-form Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I)

30-s repeated chair stand test

Training motivation (5-point Likert scale)

Adverse events

Schwenk et al. [35]

n = 33 participants (RV group = 17; control group = 16)

Mean age: VR group = 84.3 ± 7.3; control group = 84.9 ± 6.6

Gender: VR group = 10 (58.8%) women; control group = 11 (68.8%) women

Interactive balance training program (serious game)

Frequency of intervention: 2 days per week for 4 weeks

Intensity and timing of intervention: 45 min Volume of therapy: 360 min.

No intervention

CoM sway area (BalanSens™)

Anterior-posterior (AP, cm) and medial-lateral (ML, cm) CoM sway (BalanSens™)

Hip sway (deg²)

Ankle sway (deg²)

Postural coordination strategy (reduction in CoM sway through coordination of hip and ankle motion) measured by the Reciprocal Compensatory Index (RCI)

Alternate step test (AST)

Gait Performance (LegSys™)

Timed Up and Go test (TUG)

User experience

Vieira-Gomes et al. [39]

n = 30 participants (RV group = 15; control group = 15)

Mean age: VR group = 83 ± 5.87; control group = 85 ± 6.19

Gender: 2 (15.2%) men; 28 (84.8%) women

Nintendo Wii

Frequency of intervention: 2 days per week for 7 weeks

Intensity and timing of intervention: 50 min. Volume of therapy: 700 min

No intervention

Feasibility (game score)

Safety (adverse event)

Acceptability (Game Satisfaction Questionnaire)

Postural control (Mini-BEST-Test)

Gait (Functional Gait Assessment)

Cognition (Montreal Cognitive Scale)

Quality of life (Short Form 36)

Mood (Geriatric Depression Scale)

Fear of falling (Falls Efficacy Scale)

Rendon et al. [40]

n = 40 participants (RV group = 20; control group = 20)

Mean age: VR group = 85.7 ± 4.3; control group = 83.3 ± 6.2

Gender: 65% women; 35% men

Nintendo Wii

Frequency of intervention: 3 days per week for 6 weeks

Intensity and timing of intervention: 35–45 min. Mean of volume of therapy: 720 min.

No intervention

8-ft up and go (8-ft UG)

Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC)

Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)

Sato et al. [44]

n = 57 participants (RV group = 29; control group = 28)

Mean age: VR group = 70.07 ± 5.35; control group = 68.50 ± 5.47

Gender: VR group = 22 (78.5%) women; 6 (21.4%) men; control group = 21 (80.76%) women, 5 (19.24%) men

Serious game using Kinect

Frequency of intervention: 2 or 3 days per week for 8–12 weeks, total of 24 sessions

Intensity and timing of intervention: 40–60 min. Mean of volume of therapy: 1200 min.

Maintain daily lives as usual

Gait analysis: velocity (m/min), frequency (Hz), cadence (steps/min), stance phase time (s), swing phase time (s), double standing time (s), stride (cm)

Minimum foot clearance (cm)

Berg Balance Scale (BBS)

Functional Reach Test (FRT)

30-s chair-stand test

Montero-Alía et al. [41]

n = 977 participants (RV group = 508; control group = 469)

Mean age: VR group = 75.1 (72.6–78.7); control group = 75.4 (72.7–78.6)

Gender: VR group = 192 (37.8%) men; 316 (62.2%) women; control group = 208 (44.3%) men, 261 (55.7%) women

Nintendo Wii

Frequency of intervention: 2 days per week for 12 weeks

Intensity and timing of intervention: 30 min. Volume of therapy: 720 min.

Usual care systematically asking the population if they exercise

Tinetti’s balance test

Tinetti gait test

Total Tinetti score (balance plus gait)

Unipedal stance test for 5 s

Balance percentage calculated by the Wii balance test from 0 to 100 points

Short-FES-I

Number of falls during the study period

Maillot et al. [5]

n = 16 participants (RV group = 8; control group = 8)

Mean age: VR group = 74.13 ± 4.73; control group = 74 ± 2.14

Gender: 12 (75%) women; 4 (25%) men

Nintendo Wii

Frequency of intervention: twice a week for 12 weeks.

Intensity and timing of intervention: 60 min. Volume of therapy: 1440 min.

No intervention

Senior Fitness Test (SFT)

30-s chair stand test

6-min walking test (6MWT)

8-ft up and go test

Short Form 36 (SF-36)

Subjective impression of the program

Cho et al. [34]

n = 32 participants (RV group = 17; control group = 15)

Mean age: VR group = 73.1 ± 1.1; control group = 71.7 ± 1.2

Gender: Not described

Nintendo Wii

Frequency of intervention: three times a week for 8 weeks.

Intensity and timing of intervention: 30 min. Volume of therapy: 720 min.

No intervention

Center of pressure excursion eyes closed (cm)

Center of pressure excursion eyes opened (cm)

Vaziri et al. [43]

n = 153 participants (RV group = 78; control group = 75)

Mean age: VR group = 74.71 ± 6.66; control group = 74.65 ± 6.03

Gender: VR group = 43 (55.8%) women and 35 (44.2%); control group = 50 (66.7%) women and 25 (33.3%) men

iStoppFalls system

Frequency of intervention: at least three times a week, 16 weeks

Intensity and timing of intervention: 180 min per week. Volume of therapy: 2880 min

Ebooklet about general health and falls

Balance (anterior, posterior, medial, and lateral sway)

Exergame adherence (the time/week participants played the iStoppFalls during the study)

Walked distance (the activity level of the intervention group throughout the study)