Different contexts, different pains, different experiences

Measuring expectation of pain: Contingent negative variation in placebo and nocebo effects

“…An important mechanism underlying these phenomena is expectation (Benedetti, ), but different elements are likely to be involved like cognitive, affective, motivational factors and conditioning mechanisms (Price et al., ). For example, if a subject has already experienced an effective analgesic treatment, he/she will show a similar analgesic response to a following placebo treatment believed to be the same effective treatment used in the past (Carlino and Benedetti, ).…”

Learning by experience? Visceral pain‐related neural and behavioral responses in a classical conditioning paradigm

“…The complex and profoundly subjective experience of pain is subject to dynamic modification by psychological factors, such as attention, emotions, beliefs, or expectations . Negative expectations or previous experience are demonstrably capable of triggering processes of pain modulation, which are central to nocebo effects . Brain imaging studies addressing neural mechanisms underlying nocebo effects support an involvement of brain regions associated with sensory, cognitive, and emotional pain modulation .…”

Contextual factors triggering placebo and nocebo effects in nursing practice: Findings from a national cross‐sectional study

“…Several researchers (e.g., Carlino & Benedetti, 2016;Geuter, Koban, & Wager, 2017) have studied to date the rationale mechanisms explaining the occurrence of placebo or nocebo effects in certain circumstances (e.g., pain), and recently, a set of contextual factors (CFs) functioning as triggers of placebo/nocebo effects capable of influencing the clinical outcomes has been documented (Testa & Rossettini, 2016). Specifically, the CFs have been reported to enhance the clinical outcomes of evidence-based interventions by enacting various psychological and neurobiological mechanisms increasing placebo and preventing or reducing nocebo effects (Miller & Miller, 2015).…”

“…Recently, the scientific community has moved towards the modern concept of the placebo and nocebo effects as the psychosocial context that accompanies any healthcare intervention, thus overcoming the misleading interpretation of placebo as inert treatment given to comfort or please the patient (Carlino & Benedetti, 2016). As a consequence, the term CFs has been preferred instead of "placebo" (Rossettini, Carlino, & Testa, 2018), especially while conducting research aiming at preventing response bias (Tilburt, Emanuel, Kaptchuk, Curlin, & Miller, 2008).…”

“…In recent years, placebo effects have been largely studied in the nursing discipline (Alaloul et al, 2017;Baghcheghi & Koohestani, 2011), while nocebo effects have been considered less often to date (Symon, Williams, Adelasoye, & Cheyne, 2015). Both reflect complex and distinct psycho-neurobiological phenomena arising during the therapeutic encounter between the patient and the healthcare professional (Carlino & Benedetti, 2016). Specifically, placebo (Latin-I shall please) represents "all benefit in a patient's health ascribable to the symbolic impact of medical treatment/nursing intervention or the setting"; differently, nocebo (Latin-I shall harm) reflects the "ill effect caused by the suggestion or belief that something is harmful" (Miller & Miller, 2015) as manifested by a new or worsened symptoms occurring during a medical treatment/nursing intervention (Symon et al, 2015).…”