Integrating Memory, Meaning, and Emotions during Placebo Analgesia and Nocebo Hyperalgesia

TY - CHAP

T1 - Integrating Memory, Meaning, and Emotions during Placebo Analgesia and Nocebo Hyperalgesia

AU - Price, Donald D.

AU - Vase, Lene

PY - 2016/1/4

Y1 - 2016/1/4

N2 - Adding a verbal suggestion to a treatment can add significant increases in linguistic and semantic processing associated with the suggestion, increases that are probably linked to placebo/nocebo effects. Brain regions associated with this processing include those that process the memory and meaning of verbal placebo suggestions. This processing also adds significant decrease in activity of brain areas that process pain. The test stimulus seems to cue the effects and is consistent with somatic focus and sensory feedback reinforcing expectations and other factors that mediate placebo analgesic effects. Nocebo modulation may work similarly. Placebo and nocebo responses are not static or passive but reflect enactive cognitive processes that change dynamically over time and with somatic feedback. These processes can be learned and enhanced, suggesting a potential wealth of opportunity to use placebo factors to enhance efficacy of treatments and medications and to diminish nocebo factors.

AB - Adding a verbal suggestion to a treatment can add significant increases in linguistic and semantic processing associated with the suggestion, increases that are probably linked to placebo/nocebo effects. Brain regions associated with this processing include those that process the memory and meaning of verbal placebo suggestions. This processing also adds significant decrease in activity of brain areas that process pain. The test stimulus seems to cue the effects and is consistent with somatic focus and sensory feedback reinforcing expectations and other factors that mediate placebo analgesic effects. Nocebo modulation may work similarly. Placebo and nocebo responses are not static or passive but reflect enactive cognitive processes that change dynamically over time and with somatic feedback. These processes can be learned and enhanced, suggesting a potential wealth of opportunity to use placebo factors to enhance efficacy of treatments and medications and to diminish nocebo factors.

KW - Analgesia

KW - Desire

KW - Emotions

KW - Expectation

KW - Nocebo

KW - Placebo

KW - Semantic processing

KW - Somatic focus

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84966738839&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/B978-0-12-800538-5.00008-X

DO - 10.1016/B978-0-12-800538-5.00008-X

M3 - Book chapter

AN - SCOPUS:84966738839

SN - 9780128005385

SP - 159

EP - 178

BT - The Neuroscience of Pain, Stress, and Emotion

A2 - Flaten, Magne

A2 - al'Absi, Mustafa

PB - Academic Press

ER -