Cortical and subcortical responses to high and low effective placebo treatments.

ABSTRACT: The effectiveness of placebo treatments depends on the recipient's expectations, which are at least in part shaped by previous experiences. Thus, positive past experience together with an accordant verbal instruction should enhance outcome expectations and subsequently lead to higher placebo efficacy. This should be reflected in subjective valuation reports and in activation of placebo-related brain structures. We tested this hypothesis in a functional magnetic resonance imaging study, where subjects experienced different levels of pain relief and conforming information about price levels for two placebo treatments during a manipulation phase, thereby establishing a weak and a strong placebo. As expected, both placebos led to a significant pain relief and the strong placebo induced better

SUBMITTER: Geuter S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3578963 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature