When I was with the Sowell lab at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles we would frequently use a Mock MRI to prepare kids for the procedure. It was clear how effective the intervention was in reducing fear and anxiety in addition to producing better quality data and reducing the volume of early terminated scans.
With growing evidence on the effectiveness of the intervention it is really great to see this research by Bhavneet Bharti et al ” MRI customized play therapy in children reduces the need for sedation- A randomized controlled trial” which expanded upon the intervention. Children 4-10 years old (n=79) where placed in randomized groups with the intervention group familiarized with a MRI model machine, were listed the steps involved in a scan in vivid detail, were trained to stand still for 5 min, and conducted dry runs with a doll or favorite toy. The results showed that the need for sedation in the control group was 41% of subjects. However, the intervention group need for sedation decreased to 20%. Even adjusting for age, relative risk of redaction remained significantly lower in children undergoing play therapy as compared to the control.
The fear of the unknown is often more fearful than the procedure itself. When working with kids in medical settings it has become increasingly clear our hospitals and institutions need to dedicate the time to prepare patients. If not for the data, for the human experience. Here is the citation for more info:
1. Bharti B, Malhi P, Khandelwal N. MRI Customized Play Therapy in Children Reduces the Need for Sedation - A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Indian Journal of Pediatrics. 2016;83(3):209-213. doi:10.1007/s12098-015-1917-x