PMC10232986_01
Stages and process of IRT. Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) is a brief evidence-based cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) technique developed by, which is effective in reducing nightmare distress and nightmares frequency, including PTSD-related forms of nightmares, and maintaining changes in long-term follow-up. It works by inhibiting the original nightmare and providing a cognitive shift that empirically refutes the original premise of the nightmare. Many non-pharmacologic techniques have been proposed to treat PTSD-related or idiopathic nightmares, including hypnosis, lucid dreaming, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, desensitization, and IRT. However, only desensitization and IRT have been the object of controlled studies, and IRT has received the most empirical support. This method seems to have a beneficial effect on PTSD symptoms, the quality of sleep, and the nightmare frequency.
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Figure 1 shows the identified stages and process of IRT.