biostudies-literatureUnknown15(1)Boulet N<h4>Introduction</h4>Procedural skill acquisition is fundamental to medical education, yet training opportunities are increasingly constrained. Mental imagery, a cognitive rehearsal method shown to enhance psychomotor performance in various domains, has gained attention in medical training as a low-cost, safe tool to improve technical proficiency. Evidence remains limited and heterogeneous. Specifically, its application to peripheral venous catheter (PVC) insertion, a frequent and essential clinical procedure, has scarcely been studied.<h4>Methods</h4>In this single-center, open-label, randomized controlled simulation trial, fifth-year medical students from Nîmes University Medical School were randomized to either a mental imagery or control group prior to a simulated PVC insertion on a maPerspectives on medical education176-184https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12922665biostudies-literatureMental Imagery to Enhance Procedural Skills in Peripheral Venous Catheterization: A Randomized Simulation Study in Medical Students.PMC12922665Mezzarobba MSaadi LBoulet NMorin DRoger CNairv HfalseMental Imagery to Enhance Procedural Skills in Peripheral Venous Catheterization: A Randomized Simulation Study in Medical Students.<h4>Introduction</h4>Procedural skill acquisition is fundamental to medical education, yet training opportunities are increasingly constrained. Mental imagery, a cognitive rehearsal method shown to enhance psychomotor performance in various domains, has gained attention in medical training as a low-cost, safe tool to improve technical proficiency. Evidence remains limited and heterogeneous. Specifically, its application to peripheral venous catheter (PVC) insertion, a frequent and essential clinical procedure, has scarcely been studied.<h4>Methods</h4>In this single-center, open-label, randomized controlled simulation trial, fifth-year medical students from Nîmes University Medical School were randomized to either a mental imagery or control group prior to a simulated PVC insertion on a ma2026-01-01T00:00:00Z20262026-07-09T12:26:56.814Z2026-07-09T11:17:41.658ZS-EPMC129226654172625810.5334/pme.2069