Implementing a guided imagery intervention for early rehabilitation patients with acquired brain injury in intensive neurological care: Feasibility and preliminary efficacy.

Being hospitalized at an intensive-care unit (ICU) is stressful and often accompanied by feelings of helplessness, loss of control, fear and traumatic memories. There is substantial influence on cognition and emotion. Relaxation interventions have proven to be effective for regulating affect and cognition for various patient groups. N = 30 patients currently hospitalized at the ICU ward of an early neurological rehabilitation department were exposed once to an audio recording of a self-recorded customized guided imagery intervention with basic mindfulness elements (GIME) and a fictional diagnostic dialogue (control), in randomized order. We recorded respiratory rate, heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and perfusion. Functionally interactive patients were asked for self-report measures of mood, arousal and pain. We conducted repeated measures ANOVAs with the factors CONDITION and TIME and t-tests for all of the physiological parameters and self-report measures. Analyses showed significant interaction effects for systolic, as well as for diastolic blood pressure indicating a decrease during listening to the GIME. There also was a significant decrease in self-reported arousal after listening to the GIME. Our results suggest that an adapted GIME may induce a beneficial relaxation response and is suitable for administration to neurological patients within early neurological rehabilitation.