{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]],"date-time":"2026-03-10T21:30:10Z","timestamp":1773178210104,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,5]],"date-time":"2025-04-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743811200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Virtual Worlds"],"abstract":"<jats:p>(1) Background: Parkinson\u2019s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that impairs balance and postural control, gait, overall motor function, and mood, and involves the gradual degradation of several physiologic systems. With limited treatments available, physical therapy (PT)-based exercise is the nonpharmacologic measure of choice. There is a growing interest in using virtual reality (VR) gaming when rehabilitating patients with various acute brain injuries and neurological disorders. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine randomized controlled trials comparing VR-based rehabilitation programs versus traditional PT at improving gait and balance. (2) Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched using medical subject headings. Included studies were randomized controlled trials comparing VR intervention versus traditional PT in patients with PD and were published between 2013 and 2025. (3) Results: Eleven studies were reviewed and results in outcome measures (e.g., Berg Balance Scale, Unified Parkinson\u2019s Disease Rating Scale, and the Dynamic Gait Index) were compared between groups. Results of these studies demonstrated that patients receiving VR interventions had similar improvements to those in the traditional PT groups. In several studies, patients receiving VR intervention had superior outcomes. (4) Conclusion: VR is a promising addition to traditional PT and should be considered for patients with PD.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/virtualworlds4020013","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,7]],"date-time":"2025-04-07T10:02:05Z","timestamp":1744020125000},"page":"13","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["The Use of Virtual Reality to Improve Gait and Balance in Patients with Parkinson\u2019s Disease: A Scoping Review"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"4","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-1243-5844","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rachel","family":"Surridge","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctor of Medical Science Program, College of Medical Science, George Fox University, Newberg, OR 97132, USA"}]},{"given":"Curt","family":"Stilp","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctor of Medical Science Program, College of Medical Science, George Fox University, Newberg, OR 97132, USA"}]},{"given":"Christen","family":"Johnson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, College of Allied Health, George Fox University, Newberg, OR 97132, USA"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7662-3453","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jason","family":"Brumitt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, College of Allied Health, George Fox University, Newberg, OR 97132, USA"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kashif, M., Ahmad, A., Bandpei, M., Gilani, S., Hanif, A., and Iram, H. 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