RT journal article
T1 Assessment and brief psychological treatment of MRI-related anxiety in children: A controlled study with and without virtual reality simulation
A1 González de la Torre Muñoz, Sara
A1 Ramallo Luna, Miguel Ángel
A1 Paz, Jose
A1 Suazo, Amaya
A1 Romero López Alberca, Cristina
A1 González de la Torre Benítez, Gabriel
A2 Psicología
K1 anxiety
K1 children
K1 clinical health psychology
K1 cognitive behavior therapy
K1 health psychology
AB Anxiety and claustrophobia frequently occur during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), oftenleading to sedation, particularly in pediatric populations. This study examined whether a briefpsychological intervention delivered prior to MRI was associated with reduced anxiety andclaustrophobia in children initially scheduled for sedated scanning. The intervention, groundedin cognitive-behavioral principles, combined psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, relaxationtraining, and graded exposure, with or without a virtual reality (VR) simulation of the MRIprocedure. Seventy-nine children aged 6–12years were assigned to receive preparation withor 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), withno 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. Resultssuggest psychological preparation may reduce anxiety, while VR showed no clear additional benefit
PB SAGE Publications Ltd
SN 1461-7277
YR 2026
FD 2026
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/40336
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/40336
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 05-nov-2026