Since the beginning of the new millennium, the use of mental practice and movement imagery within several medical professions in rehabilitation and therapy has received an increased attention. Before this introduction in healthcare, the use of movement imagery was mainly researched in sports science. Mental practice is a complex intervention. When a complex intervention is applied in a new target group or population, the intervention is most likely needed to be adjusted, developed, and evaluated. Recently, a dissertation has been published in which the researchers describe their efforts to transfer the use of movement imagery in sports to rehabilitation. This study reports two aspects from this research project: (a) What did the researcher do? (b) What do the results mean for future research? First, however, some background information is given, in which the use of movement imagery in athletes is discussed.
Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) is effective for trauma-related nightmares and is also a challenge to patients in finding access to their traumatic memories, because these are saved in non-verbal, visual, or audiovisual language. Art therapy (AT) is an experiential treatment that addresses images rather than words. This study investigates the possibility of an IRT-AT combination. Systematic literature review and field research was conducted, and the integration of theoretical and practice-based knowledge resulted in a framework for Imagery Rehearsal-based Art Therapy (IR-AT). The added value of AT in IRT appears to be more readily gaining access to traumatic experiences, living through feelings, and breaking through avoidance. Exposure and re-scripting take place more indirectly, experientially and sometimes in a playlike manner using art assignments and materials. In the artwork, imagination, play and fantasy offer creative space to stop the vicious circle of nightmares by changing theme, story line, ending, or any part of the dream into a more positive and acceptable one. IR-AT emerges as a promising method for treatment, and could be especially useful for patients who benefit least from verbal exposure techniques. This description of IR-AT offers a base for further research.
Sinds de eeuwwisseling heeft het gebruik van mental practice (Nederlands: mentale training) en movement imagery (Nederlands: bewegingsvoorstellingen) binnen diverse disciplines in de revalidatie steeds meer aandacht gekregen. Het gebruik van bewegingsvoorstellingen werd daarvoor vooral toegepast in de sport. Mentale training is een complexe interventie. Indien een complexe interventie toegepast gaat worden bij een ‘nieuwe’ doelgroep, zal deze bijgesteld, doorontwikkeld en geëvalueerd moeten worden. De Medical Research Council (MRC) heeft hiervoor een stappenplan ontwikkeld. Onlangs is er een proefschrift verschenen waarbij geprobeerd is aan de hand van de stappen van het MRC-model de transfer vanuit de sport naar de revalidatie te maken bij mensen na een beroerte in de verpleeghuissetting. In dit artikel wordt beschreven hoe het onderzoek heeft plaatsgevonden, welke resultaten bereikt zijn en welke aanbevelingen voor vervolgonderzoek gedaan worden. Eerst wordt kort ingegaan op het gebruik van bewegingsvoorstellingen door sporters.
