Nocebo phenomenon

Abstract

The term "Nocebo" (latin, "I shall harm")

A randomized pharmacological fMRI trial investigating d-cycloserine and brain plasticity mechanisms in learned pain responses

“…These results support the involvement of integrative cognitive-emotional processes in nocebo hyperalgesia.Pain can arise as a debilitating symptom that is malleable and highly susceptible to an individual's internal and external environment 1,2 . Outcome expectations are shown to play a role in shaping pain responses to a given event or treatment [3][4][5] . While positive outcome expectations can produce beneficial effects from inert treatments (placebo effects), negative outcome expectations can blunt the effect of active interventions and even increase pain sensitivity in response to inert treatments, a phenomenon termed nocebo hyperalgesia [6][7][8][9] .An important process proposed to be involved in nocebo effects is associative learning [10][11][12][13] .…”