Manipulating the Placebo Response in Experimental Pain by Altering Doctor's Performance Style.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Performance is paramount in traditional healing rituals. From a Western perspective, such performative behavior can be understood principally as inducing patients' faith in the performer's supernatural healing powers and effecting positive changes through the same mechanisms attributed to the placebo response, which is defined as improvement of clinical outcome in individuals receiving inactive treatment. Here we examined the possibility of using theatrical performance tools, including stage directions and scripting, to reproducibly manipulate the style and content of a simulated doctor-patient encounter and influence the placebo response in experimental pain.

Methods

A total of 122 healthy volunteers (18-45 years, 76 men) exposed to experimental pain (the cold pr

SUBMITTER: Czerniak E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4928147 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature