%0 Journal Article 
%A González de la Torre Muñoz, Sara
%A Ramallo Luna, Miguel Ángel
%A Paz, Jose
%A Suazo, Amaya
%A Romero López Alberca, Cristina
%A González de la Torre Benítez, Gabriel
%T Assessment and brief psychological treatment of MRI-related anxiety in children: A controlled study with and without virtual reality simulation
%D 2026
%@ 1461-7277
%U http://hdl.handle.net/10498/40336
%X Anxiety and claustrophobia frequently occur during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), often
leading to sedation, particularly in pediatric populations. This study examined whether a brief
psychological intervention delivered prior to MRI was associated with reduced anxiety and
claustrophobia in children initially scheduled for sedated scanning. The intervention, grounded
in cognitive-behavioral principles, combined psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, relaxation
training, and graded exposure, with or without a virtual reality (VR) simulation of the MRI
procedure. Seventy-nine children aged 6–12years were assigned to receive preparation with
or without VR. State anxiety (STAIC), claustrophobia (CLQ), and preoperative anxiety (APAIS)
were assessed pre- and post-intervention, and sedation requirement during MRI was recorded.
Mixed-design ANOVAs showed significant reductions in all outcomes (η2p=0.056–0.132), with
no significant Time×Group interactions. Only 5.3% required sedation, with no group differences.
In the absence of a no-treatment control group, findings should be interpreted cautiously. Results
suggest psychological preparation may reduce anxiety, while VR showed no clear additional benefit
%K anxiety
%K children
%K clinical health psychology
%K cognitive behavior therapy
%K health psychology
%~ Universidad de Cádiz