Introduction to placebo effects in medicine: mechanisms and clinical implications

Meißner, Karin; Kohls, Niko; Colloca, Luana

doi:10.1098/rstb.2010.0414

Cited by 66 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Additionally, placebo administration for analgesia has been shown to act on the endogenous opioid system, with its effects reversed by the opioid antagonist naloxone [29]. In Parkinson’s disease, the placebo response has been linked to dopamine release in the striatum and neuronal activity in the subthalamic nucleus, both of which are key brain regions affected by Parkinson’s disease and are associated with motor control [30–32]. Research on the conditioned immune response has demonstrated involvement of the insular cortex, amygdala, and ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus [33].…”

Section: What Are the Mechanisms Behind The Placebo Effect?mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Placebo Effect in Asthma

Dutile

Kaptchuk

Wechsler

2014

Curr Allergy Asthma Rep

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The placebo effect is a complex phenomenon occurring across a variety of clinical conditions. While much placebo research has been conducted in diseases defined by self-report such as depression, chronic pain, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), asthma has been proposed as a useful model because of its easily measured objective outcomes. Studies examining the placebo response in asthma have not only contributed to an understanding of the mechanisms behind the placebo response but also shed an interesting light on the current treatment and diagnosis of asthma. This paper will review current literature on placebos in general and specifically on the placebo response in asthma. It focuses on what we know about the mechanisms behind the placebo effect, whether there is a specific portion of the population who responds to placebos, which patient outcomes are influenced by the placebo effect, and whether the effect can be augmented.

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Section: What Are the Mechanisms Behind The Placebo Effect?mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Placebo Effect in Asthma

Dutile

Kaptchuk

Wechsler

2014

Curr Allergy Asthma Rep

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“…We have also seen that simple equations such as anger leading to stomach ulcers, anxiety to asthma, repressed hostility to myocardial infarction, are nearly always wrong in their linear simplicity. However, the generic possibilities of such connections have been unraveled, based on the discovery that the whole body and not only the Central-Nervous-System (CNS) is a complex network communication system and continues to be researched [108]. It can be expected that in the near future, this research program will generate a more specific and detailed understanding of how some somatic diseases are linked to psychological states.…”

Section: Psychosomatic Medicine Psycho-neuro-endocrinology and Psychmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mind-Body Practices in Integrative Medicine

et al. 2012

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Mind-Body practices have become increasingly popular as components of psychotherapeutic and behavior medicine interventions. They comprise an array of different methods and techniques that use some sort of mental-behavioral training and involve the modulation of states of consciousness in order to influence bodily processes towards greater health, well-being and better functioning. Mind-body practices may thus be interpreted as the salutogenetic mirror image of psychosomatic medicine, where psychophysiological and health consequences of specific psychological states are studied, such as stress arousal, psychological trauma or depression. This contribution examines the empirical evidence of the most common mind-body techniques with regard to their salutogenetic potential. We concisely discuss some aspects of the mind-body problem, before we consider some historical aspects and achievements of psychosomatic medicine. We then turn to some prominent mind-body practices and their application, as well as the empirical database for them.

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“…Many other studies have highlighted placebo effects targeting autonomic functions of the respiratory, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems [63].…”

Section: Placebo Responses Can Employ Brain -Body Pathwaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Placebo mechanisms across different conditions: from the clinical setting to physical performance

Pollo

Carlino

Benedetti

2011

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Although the great increase in interest in the placebo phenomenon was spurred by the clinical implications of its use, the progressive elucidation of the neurobiological and pharmacological mechanisms underlying the placebo effect also helps cast new light on the relationship between mind (and brain) and body, a topic of foremost philosophical importance but also a major medical issue in light of the complex interactions between the brain on the one hand and body functions on the other. While the concept of placebo can be a general one, with a broad definition generally applicable to many different contexts, the description of the cerebral processes called into action in specific situations can vary widely. In this paper, examples will be given where physiological or pathological conditions are altered following the administration of an inert substance or verbal instructions tailored to induce expectation of a change, and explanations will be offered with details on neurotransmitter changes and neural pathways activated. As an instance of how placebo effects can extend beyond the clinical setting, data in the physical performance domain and implications for sport competitions will also be presented and discussed.

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Introduction to placebo effects in medicine: mechanisms and clinical implications

Cited by 66 publications

References 61 publications

The Placebo Effect in Asthma

The Placebo Effect in Asthma

Mind-Body Practices in Integrative Medicine

Placebo mechanisms across different conditions: from the clinical setting to physical performance

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