Background: Virtual reality (VR) technologies are increasingly applied in neurorehabilitation, but most research has focused on their therapeutic applications rather than assessment potential. Objective: The aim of this scoping review was to map the evidence on VR-based assessment tools in neurorehabilitation, including types of tools, targeted neurological conditions, technological specifications, and research gaps. Methods: A scoping review was conducted and reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR. The protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251113260). Searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), IEEE Xplore, and grey literature were performed from inception to July 2025. Eligible studies involved VR for assessment purposes in neurological populations and reported validity, reliability, usability, or assessment performance. Data were charted and synthesised thematically. Results: Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Most adapted established assessments such as the Box and Block Test, Action Research Arm Test, or Virtual Peg Insertion Test into VR formats. Populations included stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, and movement disorders. VR systems ranged from custom-built motion-tracking platforms to commercial head-mounted displays with controllers or optical hand-tracking. Convergent validity ranged from moderate to excellent ( r = 0.65–0.99), with optical tracking and mixed reality systems ( r > 0.90) generally outperforming controller-based approaches (r ≈ 0.65). Usability was often rated highly but varied across conditions and modalities, with some studies reporting higher usability ratings for physical tasks compared to VR. Key gaps included limited normative datasets, heterogeneous hardware/software, and minimal longitudinal evaluations. Conclusions: VR-based assessments in neurorehabilitation remain a developing field. Preliminary evidence suggests good validity, usability, and feasibility, with potential to provide richer performance data that augment conventional assessment. However, large-scale, standardised, and condition-specific studies are required before widespread clinical implementation.

Objectives: To study the prevalence of injuries among padel players in Madinah and investigate potential causes. This study makes an attempt to add to the gaps in the literature regarding injury risks and preventive strategies in this fast-growing sport. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study on 305 padel players who come from Madinah, consisting of 193 men and 112 women aged 18–40 years. Data were collected using an online Google Forms questionnaire, including descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests, among which the chi-square test was performed, aiming for the assessment of demographic and injury-related variables. Results: There were significantly different incidences of injuries with regard to gender at the p = 0.001 level. A 44.6% prevalence was recorded among women, while men had a prevalence of 8.2%. With respect to the severity of injuries from moderate to severe, there are higher percentages in women that comprised 40.4% and 5.6%, respectively. The most frequent types of upper body injuries among women were ligament sprains and muscle strains. Stress and poor warm-up practices were some of the lifestyle factors identified to increase the risk of sustaining an injury. Conclusions: This study highlights gender-specific injury patterns among padel players in Madinah, emphasizing the need for targeted injury prevention programs, including structured warm-ups and strength training. The findings contribute valuable insights for enhancing player safety and aligning with public health objectives under Saudi Vision 2030.

Background/Objectives: Urinary incontinence (UI) is particularly prevalent in women of all ages, but especially in older women, due to risk factors that contribute to pelvic floor muscle weakness. Urinary incontinence can have a significant psychosocial impact and compromise the quality of life of affected women. It is reported that physical activity seems to be inversely associated with UI. The aim is to summarize the impact of different modalities of physical exercises in management of older women with UI. Methods: Searches were performed in the databases PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE and Scopus. The searches were performed on 10 December 2024. Only randomized clinical trials were included. Ninety-three papers were initially screened, and five full papers reached all the inclusion criteria describing the effects of exercise on urinary incontinence. The studies included a total of 352 elderly participants aged 60 years or older. Of these participants, 268 lived in nursing homes and 84 lived in a local community. The intervention period varied among the selected studies from 6 weeks to 12 months, and in general, the pelvic floor training was used. Results: Improvements in the quality of life and in the physical performance of the older women with UI were reported, although the risk of bias was classified as “some concerns”. Conclusions: Moreover, it is revealed that different types of exercises are used to “work” the pelvic floor muscle and contribute, in general, to reducing the symptoms, and improving the quality of life of older women with UI due to the positive impact of the exercises.

Introduction: Emerging evidence indicates that whole-body vibration (WBV) may be a relevant adjunct in interventions targeting overweight and obese individuals. Moreover, WBV has been applied in combination with other exercise modalities and therapeutic strategies, with various physiological responses observed in this population. Objective: The current systematic review aimed to assess the physiological effects of WBV with other modalities of exercises in overweight and obese individuals. Methods: Searches in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane databases were conducted to assess physiological responses to the combination of WBV with other modalities of exercises in overweight and obese individuals. Publications were identified and the screening was performed by two reviewers, independently. Irrelevant studies were excluded based on the eligibility criteria. Results: Seven studies, analyzing different outcomes, were included, with a mean methodological quality score of 7. Four studies analyzed the acute effect and three studied the cumulative effect, with different intervention protocols. Increases in growth hormone (GH) concentrations and bioelectrical phase angles, and reductions in fat mass, blood triglycerides, and cholesterol concentrations, as well as blood pressure, heart rate, and arterial stiffness, were reported. Conclusions: WBV combined with other exercise modalities seems to promote important physiological responses in overweight and obese individuals. However, more large-scale, long-term randomized controlled trials with WBV and other modalities of exercises in overweight and obese cohorts are needed to corroborate and expand the findings of the current systematic review.

Background/Objectives: COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has had a significant impact on life worldwide since its emergence in late 2019. The virus has caused a global pandemic, leading to widespread health, social, economic, and psychological effects. COVID-19 mainly affects the respiratory system. This study aimed to compare the functional capacity and pulmonary function outcomes between COVID-19 patients and individuals who have not been infected in the Hail region. Methods: Individuals of both genders above 18 years old who had been infected with COVID-19 in the previous 6 months or had never been infected were eligible to participate. Local hospitals and social media apps were used to recruit willing participants. Heart rate, pulse oxygen saturation, blood pressure, pulmonary function test, hand grip strength, and functional tests (6 min walk test, 30 s sit-to-stand test, and timed up and go test) were measured and compared between the groups. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS Version 25. Results: Forty individuals affected with COVID-19 and forty-one healthy individuals were recruited. Our results showed that in individuals affected with COVID-19, scores on the minute ventilation, 30 s sit-to-stand, and 6 min walk tests were significantly lower than among healthy individuals. Other outcomes did not show any statistical differences between the groups. Conclusion: This study contributes to a greater understanding of the functional capacity status of individuals with COVID-19. Patients affected by COVID-19 may develop an impaired lung capacity and a decreased function capacity. These factors may negatively affect physical and cognitive health status. Future studies should evaluate the benefits of interventions with rehabilitation exercises following COVID-19. In light of the functional capacity and pulmonary function decline in individuals affected by COVID-19, interventions encompassing pulmonary and functional rehabilitation exercises are recommended to improve physical fitness and pulmonary function post-COVID-19.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a growing health challenge with increasing prevalence. Early diagnosis and effective interventions are crucial to the management of KOA individuals. Vibration therapy has shown promise as an intervention for KOA. Systemic vibratory therapy (SVT) and local vibratory therapy (LVT) have gained interest in recent years. In these therapies, mechanical vibrations are transmitted to the body either systemically or locally. The current systematic review aims to comprehensively summarize SVT and LVT effects on the functional capacity of KOA individuals. Searches in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, PEDro, and EMBASE on 3 July 2024, including only randomized controlled trials, were performed. The data collected were participant characteristics, vibrating devices, intervention duration, and main findings. Risk of bias (RoB) was assessed with Cochrane tools, and methodological quality (MQ) was assessed via the Physiotherapy Evidence Database. Nine papers were selected from 922 articles: five on SVT and four on LVT, involving 352 individuals aged 40–80. SVT studies reported acute or chronic responses like increased muscle strength and improved functional capacity. LVT studies also indicated functional capacity improvements. RoB was classified as ‘high’ in three SVT studies and ‘low’ in two LVT studies. MQ was classified as ‘high’ in five SVT studies and one LVT study. Both SVT and LVT studies reported improvements in muscle strength, range of motion, and functional capacity. The current review revealed beneficial effects of both therapies on the functional capacity of KOA individuals. However, further well-designed studies are needed to reach definitive conclusions about the effect of SVT and LVT for KOA individuals.