Caspian Journal of

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The aging of the population is one of the greatest global achievements and the result of technological growth, improved healthcare, diagnosis and treatment, and increased life expectancy. However, this is faced with problems such as the decline in physical, cognitive, and social abilities of the elderly. Virtual reality (VR) is one of the new technologies that has the potential to be used in the rehabilitation of the elderly. The aim of this study was to review the applications of virtual reality in the rehabilitation of the elderly.

METHODS: The present study is a systematic review that was conducted using international databases Scopus, SciencDirect, PubMed and local databases Medex Iran, Magiran, SID and the scientific search engine Google Scholar to search for articles published from 2013 to 2024. The search was conducted around virtual reality, rehabilitation, and the elderly. The inclusion criteria for selecting studies included full-text studies published in English or Persian on the effects of virtual reality interventions on the rehabilitation of elderly people. The exclusion criteria included letters to the editor, articles presented at conferences and seminars, and abstracts of articles. Of the 44,774 articles found in the search, after the review process, 28 articles were finally selected. Data analysis in this study was conducted using qualitative content analysis.

FINDINGS: Data analysis led to the emergence of five main categories with the titles "Effectiveness of virtual reality in improving balance and motor rehabilitation of the elderly", "Effect of virtual reality on cognitive function and memory of the elderly", "Use of virtual reality in improving social interaction and reducing social isolation of the elderly", "Virtual reality interventions to improve quality of life and motivation of the elderly", and "Obstacles and challenges of using virtual reality in rehabilitation of the elderly".

CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that the use of VR can be effective in improving motor rehabilitation, balance, cognitive function and memory, social interaction and quality of life of the elderly. However, this study also showed that the use of this technology faces various obstacles and challenges, which for optimal use of this technology, these obstacles and challenges must be considered and appropriate solutions must be provided to eliminate or reduce these obstacles.