The placebo effect shortens movement time in goal-directed movements.

ABSTRACT: The placebo effect is a powerful psychobiological phenomenon whereby a positive outcome follows the administration of an inert treatment thought to be effective. Growing evidence shows that the placebo effect extends beyond the healing context, affecting also motor performance. Here we explored the placebo effect on the control of goal-directed movement, a fundamental function in many daily activities. Twenty-four healthy volunteers performed upper-limb movements toward a target at different indexes of difficulty in two conditions: in the placebo condition, an electrical device (inert) was applied to the right forearm together with verbal information about its positive effects in improving movement precision; in the control condition, the same device was applied along with verbal informati

SUBMITTER: Fiorio M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9666443 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature