Graded motor imagery training as a home exercise program for upper limb motor function in patients with chronic stroke: A randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: Although several types of occupational therapy for motor recovery of the upper limb in patients with chronic stroke have been investigated, most treatments are performed in a hospital or clinic setting. We investigated the effect of graded motor imagery (GMI) training, as a home exercise program, on upper limb motor recovery and activities of daily living (ADL) in patients with stroke. METHODS: This prospective randomized controlled trial recruited 42 subjects with chronic stroke. The intervention group received instruction regarding the GMI program and performed it at home over 8 weeks (30 minutes a day). The primary outcome measure was the change in motor function between baseline and 8 weeks, assessed the Manual Function Test (MFT) and Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA). The secondary outcome measure was the change in ADL, assessed with the Modified Barthel Index (MBI). RESULTS: Of the 42 subjects, 37 completed the 8-week program (17 in the GMI group and 20 controls). All subjects showed significant improvements in the MFT, FMA, and MBI over time (P < .05). However, the improvements in the total scores for the MFT, FMA, and MBI did not differ between the GMI and control groups. The MFT arm motion score for the GMI group was significantly better than that of the controls (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The GMI program may be useful for improving upper extremity function as an adjunct to conventional rehabilitation for patients with chronic stroke.

Effect of Guided Imagery Along With Breathing Relaxation on Sleep Quality of the Elderly Patients Under Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Elderly patients undergoing surgery often suffer from sleep disorder. Holistic therapies might help them sleep better. The aim of this research was to determine the effect of guided imagery along with breathing relaxation on sleep quality in elderly patients undergoing abdominal surgery. A double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 90 elderly patients undergoing abdominal surgery in 2 educational hospitals in 2018, Mashhad, Iran. The elderly patients with different abdominal surgical procedures were distributed to the wardrooms and then the rooms were randomly assigned into 2 groups. In the intervention group, the patients learned breathing relaxation the day before surgery and then an audiotape was provided to perform the guided imagery from the day before surgery for 5 days (twice) along with breathing relaxation. St Mary's Hospital Sleep Inventory was completed the night before, 48 hours and 96 hours after the surgery. Data analysis was done using SPSS 21 through analytical tests. Results of the test indicated that the score of sleep quality was significantly higher in the intervention group the night before surgery (P = .001). The total scores of sleep quality in the intervention group 48 and 96 hours after the surgery were significantly higher (P < .001). Based on results of generalized estimating equation model, the score of sleep quality for patients was 8.76 units higher in the intervention group than in the control group by controlling for the effects of time. Guided imagery along with breathing relaxation improved the sleep quality of the elderly patients undergoing abdominal surgery.Trial registration: IRCT20180731040652N1.

An evaluation of the validity of a script-driven imagery procedure among traumatic event-exposed adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: Adult research employing script-driven imagery procedures has shown the method to be a valuable tool for studying the nature, correlates, and consequences of trauma and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). The purpose of the current study was to examine the validity of a trauma-focused script-driven imagery procedure among youth. METHOD: Responding to script-driven imagery was examined in relation to PTSS among 60 traumatic event-exposed adolescents, ages 10 to 17 years. RESULTS: In support of concurrent validity, PTSS was associated with self-reported anxiety, fear, disgust, and distress responses to the script. Script-elicited reexperiencing, dissociation, and total state-symptoms were associated with interview-measured severity of PTSS. However, neither script-elicited avoidance symptoms nor physiological reactivity to the script were related to PTSS. In support of discriminant validity, adolescents' self-reported thought problems were not related to script-elicited affective, physiological, or state-symptom outcomes. CONCLUSION: Research is needed to understand why certain variables, such as physiological reactivity to the script, did not relate to PTSS. However, results suggest the traumatic event-focused script driven imagery procedure is a useful method for activating a trauma-related emotion network and measuring psychological reactivity to reminders of traumatic event cues among adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Treatment Fidelity in Mind-Body Interventions.

PURPOSE: To contribute to the treatment fidelity literature by providing real-world examples and suggestion for future research and potential clinical application, this article reports on implementation, assessment, and evaluation of treatment fidelity in mind-body self-care approaches in at-risk women. METHOD: Aligning with best practices, treatment fidelity was integrated into three randomized clinical trials. The first examined the effects of a tai chi intervention designed to decrease cardiometabolic risk factors in women; the second examined the effects of a tailored guided imagery intervention on pregnancy outcomes in African American women; and the third explored effects of a mindful physical activity intervention (yoga) on psychological outcomes in women with moderate to severe depressive symptoms. FINDINGS: Each of the studies successfully designed, implemented, and evaluated strategies to address recommended treatment fidelity components. These strategies provided qualitative and quantitative data that informed intervention refinement, directions for future research, and application in clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment fidelity framework used here is based on best practices and was a feasible and reliable approach for ensuring and reporting on treatment fidelity, which is contributing to future research to foster translation of potentially effective mind-body self-care approaches into practice.

A Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Kinesthetic and Visual Motor Imagery Questionnaire.

Motor imagery has emerged as a potential rehabilitation tool in stroke. The goals of this study were: 1) to develop a translated and culturally-adapted Brazilian-Portugese version of the Kinesthetic and Visual Motor Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ20-P); 2) to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the scale in a group of patients with stroke and in an age-matched control group; 3) to compare the KVIQ20 performance between the two groups. Test-retest, inter-rater reliabilities, and internal consistencies were evaluated in 40 patients with stroke and 31 healthy participants. In the stroke group, ICC confidence intervals showed excellent test-retest and inter-rater reliabilities. Cronbach's alpha also indicated excellent internal consistency. Results for controls were comparable to those obtained in persons with stroke. The excellent psychometric properties of the KVIQ20-P should be considered during the design of studies of motor imagery interventions for stroke rehabilitation.

A Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Kinesthetic and Visual Motor Imagery Questionnaire / Versão brasileira do Questionário de Imagética Motora Cinestésica e Visual

ABSTRACT Motor imagery has emerged as a potential rehabilitation tool in stroke. The goals of this study were: 1) to develop a translated and culturally-adapted Brazilian-Portugese version of the Kinesthetic and Visual Motor Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ20-P); 2) to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the scale in a group of patients with stroke and in an age-matched control group; 3) to compare the KVIQ20 performance between the two groups. Methods Test-retest, inter-rater reliabilities, and internal consistencies were evaluated in 40 patients with stroke and 31 healthy participants. Results In the stroke group, ICC confidence intervals showed excellent test-retest and inter-rater reliabilities. Cronbach's alpha also indicated excellent internal consistency. Results for controls were comparable to those obtained in persons with stroke. Conclusions The excellent psychometric properties of the KVIQ20-P should be considered during the design of studies of motor imagery interventions for stroke rehabilitation.

RESUMO A Imagética Mental é uma ferramenta em potencial para a reabilitação de indivíduos com doenças cerebrovasculares. Os objetivos desse estudo foram: 1) Desenvolver uma versão traduzida e adaptada culturalmente do Questionário de Imagética Motora Cinestésica e Visual (KVIQ20-P); 2) Avaliar as características psicométricas da escala nesse grupo e em controles; 3) Comparar o desempenho na escala entre os dois grupos. Métodos Confiabilidades teste-reteste, interexaminador, assim como consistências internas da KVIQ20-P foram avaliadas em 40 indivíduos com AVC e em 31 controles. Resultados No grupo de pacientes, os intervalos de confiança mostraram excelentes confiabilidades teste-reteste e interexaminador. O alfa de Cronbach indicou uma excelente consistência interna. Os resultados no grupo controle foram comparáveis aos obtidos nos pacientes. Conclusões As excelentes propriedades psicométricas da KVIQ20-P devem ser consideradas durante o desenho de estudos de Imagética Mental para a reabilitação de indivíduos com doenças cerebrovasculares.

Integrative Therapies for Women with a High Risk Pregnancy During Antepartum Hospitalization.

BACKGROUND: High-risk pregnancies that require lengthy hospitalization can cause anxiety and stress for pregnant women. Integrative medicine therapies may be beneficial for this population, but have not been widely studied. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate potential effects of acupuncture, guided imagery, Healing Touch, massage therapy, and reflexology on pain and anxiety of hospitalized pregnant women. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the effects of integrative medicine therapies was conducted; N = 554 individual therapies were provided to hospitalized women with high-risk pregnancies. They included acupuncture (n = 83), guided imagery (n = 71), Healing Touch (n = 119), massage therapy (n = 196), and reflexology (n = 85) over an 18-month period. Pain and anxiety were measured pre- and posttherapy using a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 means no pain or no anxiety and 10 means high pain or high anxiety. RESULTS: Analysis of mean scores of pre- and posttherapies for pain and anxiety found a decrease of pain and anxiety after all of the therapies, ranging from an 84.5% to 61.4% decrease for pain (p < .0001) and a 91% to 70. 9% decrease for anxiety (p < .0001). Overall, patients rated their anxiety higher than pain prior to each therapy. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Hospitalized pregnant women responded favorably to the therapies. There were no adverse reactions reported. Results suggest potential benefits of integrative medicine therapies for this group of inpatients. Anxiety was more prevalent than pain among hospitalized pregnant women who received integrative medicine therapy.

Measuring Supportive Music and Imagery Interventions: The Development of the Music Therapy Self-Rating Scale.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has demonstrated modest benefits from music-based interventions, specifically music and imagery interventions, during cancer care. However, little attention has been paid to measuring the benefits of music-based interventions using measurement instruments specifically designed to account for the multidimensional nature of music-imagery experiences. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the development of, and psychometrically evaluate, the Music Therapy Self-Rating Scale (MTSRS) as a measure for cancer patients engaged in supportive music and imagery interventions. METHODS: An exploratory factor analysis using baseline data from 76 patients who consented to participate in a music-based intervention study during chemotherapy. RESULTS: Factor analysis of 14 items revealed four domains: Awareness of Body, Emotionally Focused, Personal Resources, and Treatment Specific. Internal reliability was excellent (Cronbach alphas ranging from 0.75 to 0.88) and construct and divergent-discriminant validity supported. CONCLUSIONS: The MTSRS is a psychometrically sound, brief instrument that captures essential elements of patient experience during music and imagery interventions.

Do therapeutic imagery practices affect physiological and emotional indicators of threat in high self-critics?

OBJECTIVES: Imagery is known to be a powerful means of stimulating various physiological processes and is increasingly used within standard psychological therapies. Compassion-focused imagery (CFI) has been used to stimulate affiliative emotion in people with mental health problems. However, evidence suggests that self-critical individuals may have particular difficulties in this domain with single trials. The aim of the present study was to further investigate the role of self-criticism in responsiveness to CFI by specifically pre-selecting participants based on trait self-criticism. DESIGN: Using the Forms of Self-Criticism/Self-Reassuring Scale, 29 individuals from a total sample of 139 were pre-selected to determine how self-criticism impacts upon an initial instance of imagery. METHODS: All participants took part in three activities: a control imagery intervention (useable data N = 25), a standard CFI intervention (useable data N = 25), and a non-intervention control (useable data N = 24). Physiological measurements (alpha amylase) as well as questionnaire measures of emotional responding (i.e., the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Types of Positive Affect Scale, and the State Adult Attachment Scale) were taken before and after the different interventions. RESULTS: Following both imagery interventions, repeated measures analyses revealed that alpha amylase increased significantly for high self-critics compared with low self-critics. High self-critics (HSC) also reported greater insecurity on entering the imagery session and more negative CFI experiences compared with low self-critics. CONCLUSIONS: Data demonstrate that HSC respond negatively to imagery interventions in a single trial. This highlights that imagery focused therapies (e.g., CFI) need interventions that manage fears, blocks, and resistances to the techniques, particularly in HSC. PRACTITIONER POINTS: An initial instance of imagery (e.g., CFI) can be frightening for people who have a tendency to be self-critical. This research provides examples of physiological and emotional responses to imagery type therapies in high and low self-critics, and associated clinical implications. Therapists may find it helpful to be mindful that when introducing imagery based therapies, highly self-critical patients need interventions that manage fears, blocks, and resistances to the techniques.

The effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral intervention for pathological gambling: a country-wide study.

BACKGROUND: Clinicians lack adequate data on the effectiveness of treatment for pathological gambling in low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: We evaluated a manualized treatment program that included components of cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and imaginal exposure in a sample of 128 participants diagnosed with pathological gambling. Our team recruited participants via the helpline of the National Responsible Gambling Program (NRGP) of South Africa between May 2011 and February 2012. Eligible participants, who met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for pathological gambling as assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for Pathological Gambling (SCI-PG), were referred to practitioners who had been trained in the intervention technique. We then compared pre- and post-treatment scores obtained on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale Adapted for Pathological Gambling (PG-YBOCS), the primary outcome measure, and the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS), the secondary outcome measure. RESULTS: Scores obtained on the PG-YBOCS and the SDS both decreased significantly from the first to the final session (t[127] = 23.74, P < .001, r = .9; t[127] = 19.23, P < .001, r = .86, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The urges and disability symptoms related to pathological gambling were significantly reduced among participants completing treatment. These preliminary results hold promise for individuals with pathological gambling in South Africa and other low- and middle-income countries.

Time-course of eye movement-related decrease in vividness and emotionality of unpleasant autobiographical memories.

The time-course of changes in vividness and emotionality of unpleasant autobiographical memories associated with making eye movements (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing, EMDR) was investigated. Participants retrieved unpleasant autobiographical memories and rated their vividness and emotionality prior to and following 96 seconds of making eye movements (EM) or keeping eyes stationary (ES); at 2, 4, 6, and 10 seconds into the intervention; then followed by regular larger intervals throughout the 96-second intervention. Results revealed a significant drop compared to the ES group in emotionality after 74 seconds compared to a significant drop in vividness at only 2 seconds into the intervention. These results support that emotionality becomes reduced only after vividness has dropped. The results are discussed in light of working memory theory and visual imagery theory, following which the regular refreshment of the visual memory needed to maintain it in working memory is interfered with by eye movements that also tax working memory, which affects vividness first.

The role of imagery-related properties in picture naming: a newly standardized set of 360 pictures for Japanese.

Picture naming was investigated primarily to determine its dependence on certain imagery-related variables, with a secondary aim of developing a new set of Japanese norms for 360 pictures. Pictures refined from the original Nishimoto, Miyawaki, Ueda, Une, and Takahashi (Behavior Research Methods 37:398-416, 2005) set were used. Naming behaviors were measured using four imagery-related measures (imageability, vividness, image agreement, and image variability) and four conventional measures (naming time, name agreement, familiarity, and age of acquisition), as well as a number of other measures (17 total). A simultaneous multiple regression analysis performed on naming times showed that the most reliable predictor was H, a measure of name diversity; two image-related measures (image agreement and vividness) and age of acquisition also contributed substantially to the prediction of naming times. The accuracy of picture naming (measured as name agreement) was predicted by vividness, age of acquisition, familiarity, and image agreement. This suggests that certain processes involving mental imagery play a role in picture naming. The full set of norms and pictures may be downloaded from http://www.psychonomic.org/archive/ or along with the article from http://www.springerlink.com .

Caso clínico interactivo. Trastorno de comportamiento durante el sueño en paciente joven / No disponible

No disponible

Guided imagery for musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review.

AIMS: The objective of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of guided imagery (GI) as a treatment option for musculoskeletal pain (MSP). METHOD: Six databases were searched from their inception to May 2010. All controlled clinical trials were considered, if they investigated GI in patients with any MSP in any anatomic location and if they assessed pain as an outcome measure. Trials of motor imagery were excluded. The selection of studies, data extraction, and validation were performed independently by 2 reviewers. RESULTS: Nine randomized clinical trials (RCTs) met the inclusion criteria. Their methodologic quality ranged between 1 and 3 on the Jadad scale. Eight RCTs suggested that GI leads to a significant reduction of MSP. One RCT indicated no change in MSP in comparison with usual care. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that there are too few rigorous RCTs testing the effectiveness of GI in the management of MSP. Therefore, the evidence that GI alleviates MSP is encouraging but inconclusive.

Does evidence support physiotherapy management of adult Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type One? A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To source and critically evaluate the evidence on the effectiveness of Physiotherapy to manage adult CRPS-1. DESIGN: Systematic literature review. METHODS: Electronic databases, conference proceedings, clinical guidelines and text books were searched for quantitative studies on CRPS-1 in adults where Physiotherapy was a sole or significant component of the intervention. Data were extracted according to predefined criteria by two independent reviewers. Methodological quality was assessed using the Critical Review Form. RESULTS: The search strategy identified 1320 potential articles. Of these, 14 articles, representing 11 studies, met inclusion criteria. There were five randomised controlled trials, one comparative study and five case series. Methodological quality was dependent on study type, with randomised controlled trials being higher in quality. Physiotherapy treatments varied between studies and were often provided in combination with medical management. This did not allow for the 'stand-alone' value of Physiotherapy to be determined. Heterogeneity across the studies, with respect to participants, interventions evaluated and outcome measures used, prevented meta-analysis. Narrative synthesis of the results, based on effect size, found there was good to very good quality level II evidence that graded motor imagery is effective in reducing pain in adults with CRPS-1, irrespective of the outcome measure used. No evidence was found to support treatments frequently recommended in clinical guidelines, such as stress loading. CONCLUSIONS: Graded motor imagery should be used to reduce pain in adult CRPS-1 patients. Further, the results of this review should be used to update CRPS-1 clinical guidelines.

Effect of PETTLEP imagery training on performance of nursing skills: pilot study.

AIM: This article is a report of a study to evaluate the effect of PETTLEP-based imagery training on nursing skill performance. BACKGROUND: Imagery structuring has been demonstrated to facilitate the development of psychomotor skills in sporting performance. A form of imagery structuring known as PETTLEP was employed in this study. PETTLEP (an acronym for its procedures) involves preparation through focussing on physical characteristics, the environment, the task itself, timing, learning, emotion and perspective. METHODS: A pilot study was conducted, using experimental design, and the data were collected in 2005. Participants in the experiment were 56 pre-registration students from one university in the United Kingdom. Half of the students received training for two basic nursing skills using PETTLEP procedures, and scores were compared for two objective structured clinical examinations. RESULTS: Students who received PETTLEP training for blood pressure measurement performed statistically significantly better than those who did not (F = 4.62 P = <0.05). The training did not have a statistically significant effect for aseptic techniques. We suggest that the psychomotor element in aseptic techniques was not as important as that involved in blood pressure measurement. CONCLUSION: PETTLEP imagery should be explored further as a method to help nursing students acquire skills that have a psychomotor component.

Mental imagery for promoting relearning for people after stroke: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy of mental imagery at promoting relearning for people after a stroke. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized controlled trial. SETTING: An inpatient rehabilitation stroke unit in Hong Kong. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-six inpatients, 60 years of age or older, after a cerebral infarction. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to receive 15 sessions (1 h/d for 3 wk) of either the mental imagery program or the conventional functional training intervention on the relearning of daily living tasks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Performance of 15 trained and 5 untrained tasks, including household, cooking, and shopping tasks; and the Fugl-Meyer Assessment and Color Trails Test (CTT). RESULTS: Patients engaged in mental imagery-based intervention showed better relearning of both trained and untrained tasks compared with the control group (trained tasks: P<.005; untrained tasks: P<.001). They also demonstrated a greater ability to retain the trained tasks after 1 month and transfer the skills relearned to other untrained tasks (P<.001). However, among the various ability measures, the mental imagery group showed a significant increase in the CTT scores only after the intervention (P<.005). CONCLUSIONS: Mental imagery can be used as a training strategy to promote the relearning of daily tasks for people after an acute stroke. The imagery process is likely to improve the planning and execution of both the trained and the untrained (novel) tasks. The effect of its relearning appears to help patients to retain and generalize the skills and tasks learned in the rehabilitation program.

Patterning of pain and power with guided imagery.

Using Martha Rogers' science of unitary human beings, changes in pain and power among 42 patients were examined in relation to the use of a guided imagery modality. Participants were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups and repeated measures MANCOVA was used to detect differences in pain and power over a 4-day period of time. The treatment group's pain decreased during the last 2 days of the study. No differences in power emerged. Guided imagery appeared to have potential as a useful nursing modality for chronic pain sufferers.

A pilot study to predict success with guided imagery for cancer pain.

Guided imagery, as other nonpharmacologic strategies, has been demonstrated to be useful for some patients. However, no tested method exists to identify which patients are likely to benefit from this pain management strategy. This pilot study tested a model to predict success with guided imagery. Major concepts tested included imaging ability, outcome expectancy, history of imagery use, match with preferred coping style, and perceived credibility of the imagery provider. A one-group pretest-posttest design was used. A sample of 62 hospitalized cancer patients currently experiencing pain rated >/=3 on a 0 to 10 scale completed questionnaires and used an audiotaped imagery intervention. Pain outcomes examined included mean pain intensity and distress, positive and negative affect, and perceived control over pain. A path analysis was conducted using multiple regression to evaluate relationships proposed in the model. Previous history with imagery predicted outcome expectancy. Imaging ability predicted mean pain intensity, positive affect, and perceived control over pain. Outcome expectancy was not a significant predictor of any pain outcomes. Baseline status and concurrent symptoms, measured as covariates, also played a significant role in predicting outcomes. Variance explained in pain outcomes ranged from 10% to 52% (adjusted R(2) = 3% to 48%). Further exploration of model variables is warranted. Findings suggest that after considering current symptom experience, imaging ability may be a useful variable to assess in order to determine whether guided imagery is an appropriate intervention for individual patients.