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Botvinik-Nezer R, Petre B, Ceko M, Lindquist MA, Friedman NP, Wager TD. Placebo treatment affects brain systems related to affective and cognitive processes, but not nociceptive pain. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6017. [PMID: 39019888 PMCID: PMC11255344 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50103-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Drug treatments for pain often do not outperform placebo, and a better understanding of placebo mechanisms is needed to improve treatment development and clinical practice. In a large-scale fMRI study (N = 392) with pre-registered analyses, we tested whether placebo analgesic treatment modulates nociceptive processes, and whether its effects generalize from conditioned to unconditioned pain modalities. Placebo treatment caused robust analgesia in conditioned thermal pain that generalized to unconditioned mechanical pain. However, placebo did not decrease pain-related fMRI activity in brain measures linked to nociceptive pain, including the Neurologic Pain Signature (NPS) and spinothalamic pathway regions, with strong support for null effects in Bayes Factor analyses. In addition, surprisingly, placebo increased activity in some spinothalamic regions for unconditioned mechanical pain. In contrast, placebo reduced activity in a neuromarker associated with higher-level contributions to pain, the Stimulus Intensity Independent Pain Signature (SIIPS), and affected activity in brain regions related to motivation and value, in both pain modalities. Individual differences in behavioral analgesia were correlated with neural changes in both modalities. Our results indicate that cognitive and affective processes primarily drive placebo analgesia, and show the potential of neuromarkers for separating treatment influences on nociception from influences on evaluative processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rotem Botvinik-Nezer
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.
| | - Bogdan Petre
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Marta Ceko
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Martin A Lindquist
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Naomi P Friedman
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Tor D Wager
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.
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2
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Redel AL, Miry F, Hellemons ME, Oswald LMA, Braunstahl GJ. Effect of lactoferrin treatment on symptoms and physical performance in long COVID patients: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. ERJ Open Res 2024; 10:00031-2024. [PMID: 39076533 PMCID: PMC11284587 DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00031-2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Long COVID is a heterogeneous condition with a variety of symptoms that persist at least 3 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection, often with a profound impact on quality of life. Lactoferrin is an iron-binding glycoprotein with anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. Current hypotheses regarding long COVID aetiology include ongoing immune activation, viral persistence and auto-immune dysregulation. Therefore, we hypothesised that long COVID patients may potentially benefit from lactoferrin treatment. The aims of the present study were to investigate the effect of lactoferrin on various long COVID domains: fatigue, anxiety, depression, cognitive failure and muscle strength. Methods We performed a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in long COVID patients aged 18-70 years within 12 months after proven SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients were randomised (1:1) to 6 weeks of lactoferrin (1200 mg daily) or placebo. At three hospital visits (T0, T6 and T12 weeks), patient-reported outcome measures were collected, physical performance tests were performed and blood was drawn. The difference in fatigue at T6 was the primary outcome. Results 72 participants were randomised to lactoferrin (n=36) or placebo (n=36). We found a significant decrease in fatigue, as measured with the Fatigue Assessment Scale, between T0 and T6 in both study arms, but without significant difference between the study arms (lactoferrin: 3.9, 95% CI 2.3-5.5, p=0.007; placebo: 4.1, 95% CI 2.3-5.9, p=0.013). No significant differences were found in any of the other outcomes in favour of the lactoferrin arm at T6 or T12. Conclusion Although both long COVID arms showed improved clinical outcomes at T6, the improvement did not continue until T12. Lactoferrin provided no benefit in terms of fatigue, other patient-reported outcome measures or physical functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Lotte Redel
- Department of Pulmonology, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Pulmonology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Fatana Miry
- Department of Pulmonology, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Merel Elise Hellemons
- Department of Pulmonology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Erasmus Medical Center Transplant Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Gerrit Johannes Braunstahl
- Department of Pulmonology, Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Pulmonology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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3
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Feldman MJ, Bliss-Moreau E, Lindquist KA. The neurobiology of interoception and affect. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:643-661. [PMID: 38395706 PMCID: PMC11222051 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Scholars have argued for centuries that affective states involve interoception, or representations of the state of the body. Yet, we lack a mechanistic understanding of how signals from the body are transduced, transmitted, compressed, and integrated by the brains of humans to produce affective states. We suggest that to understand how the body contributes to affect, we first need to understand information flow through the nervous system's interoceptive pathways. We outline such a model and discuss how unique anatomical and physiological aspects of interoceptive pathways may give rise to the qualities of affective experiences in general and valence and arousal in particular. We conclude by considering implications and future directions for research on interoception, affect, emotions, and human mental experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Feldman
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - E Bliss-Moreau
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA; California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - K A Lindquist
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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4
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van der Schaaf ME, Geerligs L, Toni I, Knoop H, Oosterman JM. Disentangling pain and fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome: a resting state connectivity study before and after cognitive behavioral therapy. Psychol Med 2024; 54:1735-1748. [PMID: 38193344 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723003690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fatigue is a central feature of myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), but many ME/CFS patients also report comorbid pain symptoms. It remains unclear whether these symptoms are related to similar or dissociable brain networks. This study used resting-state fMRI to disentangle networks associated with fatigue and pain symptoms in ME/CFS patients, and to link changes in those networks to clinical improvements following cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). METHODS Relationships between pain and fatigue symptoms and cortico-cortical connectivity were assessed within ME/CFS patients at baseline (N = 72) and after CBT (N = 33) and waiting list (WL, N = 18) and compared to healthy controls (HC, N = 29). The analyses focused on four networks previously associated with pain and/or fatigue, i.e. the fronto-parietal network (FPN), premotor network (PMN), somatomotor network (SMN), and default mode network (DMN). RESULTS At baseline, variation in pain and fatigue symptoms related to partially dissociable brain networks. Fatigue was associated with higher SMN-PMN connectivity and lower SMN-DMN connectivity. Pain was associated with lower PMN-DMN connectivity. CBT improved SMN-DMN connectivity, compared to WL. Larger clinical improvements were associated with larger increases in frontal SMN-DMN connectivity. No CBT effects were observed for PMN-DMN or SMN-PMN connectivity. CONCLUSIONS These results provide insight into the dissociable neural mechanisms underlying fatigue and pain symptoms in ME/CFS and how they are affected by CBT in successfully treated patients. Further investigation of how and in whom behavioral and biomedical treatments affect these networks is warranted to improve and individualize existing or new treatments for ME/CFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke E van der Schaaf
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of cognitive neuropsychology Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Linda Geerligs
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ivan Toni
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Hans Knoop
- Department of Medical Psychology and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joukje M Oosterman
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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5
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Liu N, Liu G, Chang X, Xu Y, Hou Y, Zhang D, Wang L, Chen S. Combining various acupuncture therapies with multimodal analgesia to enhance postoperative pain management following total knee arthroplasty: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1361037. [PMID: 38562427 PMCID: PMC10984270 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1361037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of various acupuncture treatments in conjunction with multimodal analgesia (MA) for managing postoperative pain and improving knee function in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA), based on the findings from clinical research indicating the potential benefits of acupuncture-related therapies in this context. Methods We searched Web of Science, PubMed, SCI-hub, Embase, Cochrane Library, China Biology Medicine (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, and Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP) to collect randomized controlled trials of acupuncture-related therapies for post-TKA pain. After independent screening and data extraction, the quality of the included literature was evaluated. The potential for bias in the studies incorporated in the analysis was assessed according to the guidelines outlined in the Cochrane Handbook 5.1. Network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted using RevMan 5.4 and Stata 16.0 software, with primary outcome measures including visual analog scale (VAS), pain pressure threshold (PPT), hospital for special surgery knee score (HSS), and knee joint range of motion (ROM). Furthermore, the interventions were ranked based on the SUCRA value. Results We conducted an analysis of 41 qualifying studies encompassing 3,003 patients, examining the efficacy of four acupuncture therapies (acupuncture ACU, electroacupuncture EA, transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation TEAS, and auricular acupoint therapy AAT) in conjunction with multimodal analgesia (MA) and MA alone. The VAS results showed no significant difference in efficacy among the five interventions for VAS-3 score. However, TEAS+MA (SMD: 0.67; 95%CI: 0.01, 1.32) was more effective than MA alone for VAS-7 score. There was no significant difference in PPT score among the three interventions. ACU + MA (SMD: 6.45; 95%CI: 3.30, 9.60), EA + MA (SMD: 4.89; 95%CI: 1.46, 8.32), and TEAS+MA (SMD: 5.31; 95%CI: 0.85, 9.78) were found to be more effective than MA alone for HSS score. For ROM score, ACU + MA was more efficacious than EA + MA, TEAS+MA, and AAT + MA, MA. Regarding the incidence of postoperative adverse reactions, nausea and vomiting were more prevalent after using only MA. Additionally, the incidence of postoperative dizziness and drowsiness following ACU + MA (OR = 4.98; 95%CI: 1.01, 24.42) was observed to be higher compared to that after AAT + MA intervention. Similarly, the occurrence of dizziness and drowsiness after MA was found to be significantly higher compared to the following interventions: TEAS+MA (OR = 0.36; 95%CI: 0.18, 0.70) and AAT + MA (OR = 0.20; 95%CI: 0.08, 0.50). The SUCRA ranking indicated that ACU + MA, EA + MA, TEAS+MA, and AAT + MA displayed superior SUCRA scores for each outcome index, respectively. Conclusion For the clinical treatment of post-TKA pain, acupuncture-related therapies can be selected as a complementary and alternative therapy. EA + MA and TEAS+MA demonstrate superior efficacy in alleviating postoperative pain among TKA patients. ACU + MA is the optimal choice for promoting postoperative knee joint function recovery in TKA patients. AAT + MA is recommended for preventing postoperative adverse reactions. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/, identifier (CRD42023492859).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningning Liu
- Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Gaihong Liu
- Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaoli Chang
- Research Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yingxue Xu
- Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yi Hou
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Dongbin Zhang
- Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Lianzhu Wang
- Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Shaozong Chen
- Research Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
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Yan X. The role of cortical midline structure in diagnoses and neuromodulation for major depressive disorder. PSYCHORADIOLOGY 2024; 4:kkae001. [PMID: 38666138 PMCID: PMC10917364 DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkae001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Xinyuan Yan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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Goldenholz DM, Goldenholz EB, Kaptchuk TJ. Quantifying and controlling the impact of regression to the mean on randomized controlled trials in epilepsy. Epilepsia 2023; 64:2635-2643. [PMID: 37505116 PMCID: PMC10592227 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in epilepsy for drug treatments are plagued by high costs. One potential remedy is to reduce placebo response via better control over regression to the mean (RTM). Here, RTM represents an initial observed seizure rate higher than the long-term average, which gradually settles closer to the average, resulting in apparent response to treatment. This study used simulation to clarify the relationship between eligibility criteria and RTM. METHODS Using a statistically realistic seizure diary simulator, the impact of RTM on placebo response and trial efficacy was explored by varying eligibility criteria for a traditional treatment phase II/III RCT for drug-resistant epilepsy. RESULTS When the baseline period was included in the eligibility criteria, increasingly larger fractions of RTM were observed (25%-47% vs. 23%-25%). Higher fractions of RTM corresponded with higher expected placebo responses (50% responder rate [RR50]: 2%-9% vs. 0%-8%) and lower statistical efficacy (RR50: 47%-67% vs. 47%-81%). The exclusion of baseline from eligibility criteria was shown to decrease the number of patients needed by roughly 30%. SIGNIFICANCE The manipulation of eligibility criteria for RCTs has a predictable and important impact on RTM, and therefore on placebo response; the difference between drug and placebo was more easily detected. This in turn impacts trial efficacy and therefore cost. This study found dramatic improvements in efficacy and cost when baseline was not included in eligibility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ted J Kaptchuk
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Botvinik-Nezer R, Petre B, Ceko M, Lindquist MA, Friedman NP, Wager TD. Placebo treatment affects brain systems related to affective and cognitive processes, but not nociceptive pain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.21.558825. [PMID: 37790543 PMCID: PMC10543005 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.21.558825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Placebo analgesia is a replicable and well-studied phenomenon, yet it remains unclear to what degree it includes modulation of nociceptive processes. Some studies find effects consistent with nociceptive effects, but meta-analyses show that these effects are often small. We analyzed placebo analgesia in a large fMRI study (N = 392), including placebo effects on brain responses to noxious stimuli. Placebo treatment caused robust analgesia in both conditioned thermal and unconditioned mechanical pain. Placebo did not decrease fMRI activity in nociceptive pain regions, including the Neurologic Pain Signature (NPS) and pre-registered spinothalamic pathway regions, with strong support from Bayes Factor analyses. However, placebo treatment affected activity in pre-registered analyses of a second neuromarker, the Stimulus Intensity Independent Pain Signature (SIIPS), and several associated a priori brain regions related to motivation and value, in both thermal and mechanical pain. Individual differences in behavioral analgesia were correlated with neural changes in both thermal and mechanical pain. Our results indicate that processes related to affective and cognitive aspects of pain primarily drive placebo analgesia.
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Pagnini F, Barbiani D, Cavalera C, Volpato E, Grosso F, Minazzi GA, Vailati Riboni F, Graziano F, Di Tella S, Manzoni GM, Silveri MC, Riva G, Phillips D. Placebo and Nocebo Effects as Bayesian-Brain Phenomena: The Overlooked Role of Likelihood and Attention. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023; 18:1217-1229. [PMID: 36656800 DOI: 10.1177/17456916221141383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The Bayesian-brain framework applied to placebo responses and other mind-body interactions suggests that the effects on the body result from the interaction between priors, such as expectations and learning, and likelihood, such as somatosensorial information. Significant research in this area focuses on the role of the priors, but the relevance of the likelihood has been surprisingly overlooked. One way of manipulating the relevance of the likelihood is by paying attention to sensorial information. We suggest that attention can influence both precision and position (i.e., the relative distance from the priors) of the likelihood by focusing on specific components of the somatosensorial information. Two forms of attention seem particularly relevant in this framework: mindful attention and selective attention. Attention has the potential to be considered a "major player" in placebo/nocebo research, together with expectations and learning. In terms of application, relying on attentional strategies as "amplifiers" or "silencers" of sensorial information could lead to an active involvement of individuals in shaping their care process and health. In this contribution, we discuss the theoretical implications of these intuitions with the aim to provide a comprehensive framework that includes Bayesian brain, placebo/nocebo effects, and the role of attention in mind-body interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diletta Barbiani
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona
| | - Cesare Cavalera
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
| | - Eleonora Volpato
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Francesca Graziano
- Bicocca Bioinformatics Biostatistics and Bioimaging B4 Center, University of Milano-Bicocca
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano
| | - Sonia Di Tella
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
| | | | | | - Giuseppe Riva
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS
- Humane Technology Lab., Catholic University of Milan
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Martínez-Briones BJ, Flores-Gallegos R, Cárdenas SY, Barrera-Díaz BE, Fernández T, Silva-Pereyra J. Effects of neurofeedback on the self-concept of children with learning disorders. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1167961. [PMID: 37255511 PMCID: PMC10225657 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1167961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Children with learning disorders (LDs) often have a lower self-concept than their typically developing peers. Neurofeedback (NFB) treatments seem to improve the cognitive and academic performance of these children, but the effects on self-concept have not been studied. In this exploratory study, 34 right-handed children (8-11 y.o.) with LD and delayed electroencephalographic maturation responded to the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. One group received NFB (n = 20), and another group (n = 14) served as control, which included 9 children treated with sham-NFB and 5 on a waiting-list. A nonparametric permutation approach was used to compare the academic performance and self-concept difference (postscores - prescores) between the NFB and control groups. Given the smaller size of the control subgroups, a comparison of the percent changes between sham-NFB and the waiting-list was performed with the non-overlap of all pairs (NAP) technique. In the NFB group, the scores of reading, math, and global self-concept increased significantly, highlighting the self-concept subdomains of physical appearance, nonanxiety, popularity, and happiness. Additionally, the sham-NFB subgroup showed better outcomes than the waiting-list subgroup, perhaps due to noncontrolled factors. We found improved academic performance and self-concept in children with LDs who received NFB treatment. This study is an important exploratory step in studying a relevant treatment that seems to ameliorate symptoms of LDs such as anxiety and low self-concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benito Javier Martínez-Briones
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Rodrigo Flores-Gallegos
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Sonia Y. Cárdenas
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
- Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Bertha Elena Barrera-Díaz
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Thalía Fernández
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Juan Silva-Pereyra
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlanepantla, Estado de México, Mexico
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Abstract
Pain is driven by sensation and emotion, and in turn, it motivates decisions and actions. To fully appreciate the multidimensional nature of pain, we formulate the study of pain within a closed-loop framework of sensory-motor prediction. In this closed-loop cycle, prediction plays an important role, as the interaction between prediction and actual sensory experience shapes pain perception and subsequently, action. In this Perspective, we describe the roles of two prominent computational theories-Bayesian inference and reinforcement learning-in modeling adaptive pain behaviors. We show that prediction serves as a common theme between these two theories, and that each of these theories can explain unique aspects of the pain perception-action cycle. We discuss how these computational theories and models can improve our mechanistic understandings of pain-centered processes such as anticipation, attention, placebo hypoalgesia, and pain chronification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Sage Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA,Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA,Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA,Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA,Corresponding author
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA,Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA,Interdisciplinary Pain Research Program, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA,Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA,Corresponding author
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"Let's see what happens:"-Women's experiences of open-label placebo treatment for menopausal hot flushes in a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276499. [PMID: 36331921 PMCID: PMC9635716 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Open-label (honestly prescribed) placebos are an ethical way to evoke placebo effects in patients. As part of a mixed-methods study, we conducted in-depth interviews with eight menopausal women who underwent and benefitted from open-label placebo treatment in a randomized-controlled trial of hot flushes. Data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. We found that the women had low expectations about the placebo treatment yet endorsed what they referred to as “hope” and openness to “see what happens”. Recording hot flushes via the symptom diary was viewed as a valuable opportunity for self-examination and appraising outcomes. Receiving relief from the placebo treatment empowered women and enhanced their sense of control and agency. In summary, participants’ initial openness towards placebos, their hopes to get better, monitoring symptoms closely, and taking the initiative to address symptoms were components of a positive open-label placebo experience.
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Vera J, Redondo B, Ocaso E, Martinez‐Guillorme S, Molina R, Jiménez R. Manipulating expectancies in optometry practice: Ocular accommodation and stereoacuity are sensitive to placebo and nocebo effects. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2022; 42:1390-1398. [PMID: 35959593 PMCID: PMC9804873 DOI: 10.1111/opo.13036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is scientific evidence that an individual's beliefs and/or expectations play a role in the behavioural and physiological response to a given treatment. This study aimed to assess whether the dynamics of the accommodative response and stereoacuity are sensitive to experimentally induced placebo and nocebo effects. METHODS Nineteen healthy university students performed three experimental sessions (placebo, nocebo and control) in randomised order, with the dynamics of the accommodative response (magnitude and variability), stereoacuity and subjective measures being assessed in all sessions. For the experimental manipulation, participants ingested an inert capsule that was alleged to have positive (white capsule, placebo condition) or negative (yellow capsule, nocebo conditions) effects on the human physiology. In the control condition, participants did not ingest a capsule. RESULTS The data revealed that the variability of accommodation was sensitive to experimentally induced placebo and nocebo effects, showing a more stable accommodative response for the placebo compared with the nocebo condition (corrected p-value = 0.04, Cohen's d = 0.60). In addition, better stereoacuity was found with the placebo, compared with the nocebo (corrected p-value = 0.01, Cohen's d = 0.69) and control (corrected p-value = 0.03, Cohen's d = 0.59) conditions. Successful experimental manipulation was confirmed by the analysis of subjective perceptions. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide evidence that manipulating expectations about the efficacy of an inert treatment affect the dynamics of the accommodative response (variability of accommodation) and stereoacuity. The results have important applications in both clinical and research outcomes, where individuals´ beliefs/expectations could modulate the visual function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Vera
- CLARO (Clinical and Laboratory Applications of Research in Optometry) Research Group, Department of Optics, Faculty of SciencesUniversity of GranadaGranadaSpain
| | - Beatriz Redondo
- CLARO (Clinical and Laboratory Applications of Research in Optometry) Research Group, Department of Optics, Faculty of SciencesUniversity of GranadaGranadaSpain
| | - Elena Ocaso
- Óptica del Penedes Optometry CenterZaragozaSpain
| | | | - Rubén Molina
- CLARO (Clinical and Laboratory Applications of Research in Optometry) Research Group, Department of Optics, Faculty of SciencesUniversity of GranadaGranadaSpain
| | - Raimundo Jiménez
- CLARO (Clinical and Laboratory Applications of Research in Optometry) Research Group, Department of Optics, Faculty of SciencesUniversity of GranadaGranadaSpain
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14
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Ma S, Huang H, Zhong Z, Zheng H, Li M, Yao L, Yu B, Wang H. Effect of acupuncture on brain regions modulation of mild cognitive impairment: A meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:914049. [PMID: 36212046 PMCID: PMC9540390 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.914049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background As a non-pharmacological therapy, acupuncture has significant efficacy in treating Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) compared to pharmacological therapies. In recent years, advances in neuroimaging techniques have provided new perspectives to elucidate the central mechanisms of acupuncture for MCI. Many acupuncture brain imaging studies have found significant improvements in brain function after acupuncture treatment of MCI, but the underlying mechanisms of brain regions modulation are unclear. Objective A meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of MCI patients treated with acupuncture was conducted to summarize the effects of acupuncture on the modulation of MCI brain regions from a neuroimaging perspective. Methods Using acupuncture, neuroimaging, magnetic resonance, and Mild Cognitive Impairment as search terms, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), Google Scholar, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biology Medicine disk (CBM disk), Wanfang and Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP) for brain imaging studies on acupuncture on MCI published up to April 2022. Voxel-based neuroimaging meta-analysis of fMRI data was performed using voxel-based d Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images (SDM-PSI), allowing for Family-Wise Error Rate (FWER) correction correction for correction multiple comparisons of results. Subgroup analysis was used to compare the differences in brain regions between the acupuncture treatment group and other control groups. Meta-regression was used to explore demographic information and altered cognitive function effects on brain imaging outcomes. Linear models were drawn using MATLAB 2017a, and visual graphs for quality evaluation were produced using R software and RStudio software. Results A total of seven studies met the inclusion criteria, with 94 patients in the treatment group and 112 patients in the control group. All studies were analyzed using the regional homogeneity (ReHo) method. The experimental design of fMRI included six task state studies and one resting-state study. The meta-analysis showed that MCI patients had enhanced activity in the right insula, left anterior cingulate/paracingulate gyri, right thalamus, right middle frontal gyrus, right median cingulate/paracingulate gyri, and right middle temporal gyrus brain regions after acupuncture treatment. Further analysis of RCT and longitudinal studies showed that Reho values were significantly elevated in two brain regions, the left anterior cingulate/paracingulate gyrus and the right insula, after acupuncture. The MCI group showed stronger activity in the right supramarginal gyrus after acupuncture treatment compared to healthy controls. Meta-regression analysis showed that the right anterior thalamic projection ReHo index was significantly correlated with the MMSE score after acupuncture treatment in all MCI patients. Conclusions Acupuncture therapy has a modulating effect on the brain regions of MCI patients. However, due to the inadequate experimental design of neuroimaging studies, multi-center neuroimaging studies with large samples are needed better to understand the potential neuroimaging mechanisms of acupuncture for MCI. In addition, machine learning algorithm-based predictive models for evaluating the efficacy of acupuncture for MCI may become a focus of future research. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022287826, identifier: CRD 42022287826.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqi Ma
- College of Acupuncture and Massage, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Haipeng Huang
- Northeast Asian Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Zhen Zhong
- College of Acupuncture and Massage, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Haizhu Zheng
- College of Acupuncture and Massage, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Mengyuan Li
- College of Acupuncture and Massage, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Lin Yao
- College of Acupuncture and Massage, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Bin Yu
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Hongfeng Wang
- Northeast Asian Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
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15
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Experiences of Patients Taking Conditioned Open-Label Placebos for Reduction of Postoperative Pain and Opioid Exposure After Spine Surgery. Int J Behav Med 2022:10.1007/s12529-022-10114-5. [PMID: 35915346 DOI: 10.1007/s12529-022-10114-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pain after spine surgery is difficult to manage, often requiring the use of opioid analgesics. While traditional "deceptive" or concealed placebo has been studied in trials and laboratory experiments, the acceptability and patient experience of taking honestly prescribed placebos, such as "open-label" placebo (non-deceptive placebo), or conditioned placebo (pairing placebo with another active pharmaceutical) is relatively unexamined. METHODS Qualitative thematic analysis was performed using semi-structured, post-treatment interviews with spine surgery patients (n = 18) who had received conditioned open-label placebo (COLP) during the first 2-3 weeks after surgery as part of a RCT. Interview transcripts were reviewed by 3 investigators using an immersion/crystallization approach, followed by iterative large-group discussions with additional investigators, to identify, refine, and codify emergent themes. RESULTS Patients' experiences and perceptions of COLP efficacy varied widely. Some emergent themes included the power of the mind over pain, how COLP might provide distraction from or agency over pain, bandwidth required and engagement with COLP, and its modulation of opioid tapering, as well as negative attitudes toward opioids and pill taking in general. Other themes included uncertainty about COLP efficacy, observations of how personality may relate to COLP efficacy, and a recognition of the greater impact of COLP on reduction of opioid use rather than on pain itself. Interestingly, participant uncertainty, disbelief, and skepticism were not necessarily associated with greater opioid consumption or worse pain. CONCLUSION Participants provided insights into the experience of COLP which may help to guide its future utilization to manage acute pain and tapering from opioids.
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16
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D'Alessandro G, Ruffini N, Iacopini A, Annoni M, Kossowsky J, Cerritelli F. Five challenges for manual therapies trials with placebo controls: A proposal. INT J OSTEOPATH MED 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijosm.2022.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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17
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Enstroem R, Schmaltz R. Vinyl as Fine Wine: The Role of Expectation on the Perception of Music Format. Front Psychol 2022; 13:873517. [PMID: 35712176 PMCID: PMC9197490 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.873517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While vinyl, compact discs, and even eight-track tapes were traditionally promoted to consumers as producing superior sound, the introduction of compressed digital music, such as mp3s, was markedly different. Initially, one of the primary selling features of digital music was convenience and portability rather than sound quality. Recently, vinyl music sales have experienced a substantial resurgence. Waveforms from vinyl represent recorded music more accurately than compressed digital formats and have the potential to produce better sound. Even so, most music listeners do not reliably listen to music on audiophile quality high-end equipment. For this reason, we believe one aspect of vinyl sales is the expectation that vinyl quality is superior. In this study, we sought to isolate the contribution of expectation to perceived sound quality. Participants were asked to listen to a selection of music on either vinyl or mp3. Some participants were told that they were listening to vinyl when the musical selection was an mp3, while others were told they were listening to an mp3 while actually listening to vinyl. A multivariate analysis through a Canonical Correlation Analysis established that expectation of music format quality drove post-listening evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rickard Enstroem
- Department of Decision Sciences, School of Business, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Rodney Schmaltz
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Science, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- *Correspondence: Rodney Schmaltz,
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18
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Vachon-Presseau E, Abdullah TB, Berger SE, Huang L, Griffith JW, Schnitzer TJ, Apkarian AV. Validating a biosignature-predicting placebo pill response in chronic pain in the settings of a randomized controlled trial. Pain 2022; 163:910-922. [PMID: 34433773 PMCID: PMC8863986 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The objective of this study is to validate a placebo pill response predictive model-a biosignature-that classifies chronic pain patients into placebo responders (predicted-PTxResp) and nonresponders (predicted-PTxNonR) and test whether it can dissociate placebo and active treatment responses. The model, based on psychological and brain functional connectivity, was derived in our previous study and blindly applied to current trial participants. Ninety-four chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients were classified into predicted-PTxResp or predicted-PTxNonR and randomized into no treatment, placebo treatment, or naproxen treatment. To monitor analgesia, back pain intensity was collected twice a day: 3 weeks baseline, 6 weeks of treatment, and 3 weeks of washout. Eighty-nine CLBP patients were included in the intent-to-treat analyses and 77 CLBP patients in the per-protocol analyses. Both analyses showed similar results. At the group level, the predictive model performed remarkably well, dissociating the separate effect sizes of pure placebo response and pure active treatment response and demonstrating that these effects interacted additively. Pain relief was about 15% stronger in the predicted-PTxResp compared with the predicted-PTxNonR receiving either placebo or naproxen, and the predicted-PTxNonR successfully isolated the active drug effect. At a single subject level, the biosignature better predicted placebo nonresponders, with poor accuracy. One component of the biosignature (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex-precentral gyrus functional connectivity) could be generalized across 3 placebo studies and in 2 different cohorts-CLBP and osteoarthritis pain patients. This study shows that a biosignature can predict placebo response at a group level in the setting of a randomized controlled trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Vachon-Presseau
- Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain (AECRP), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Taha B. Abdullah
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 710 N Lake Shore Drive, Room 1020, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Sara E. Berger
- Healthcare and Life Sciences Department, IBM Watson Research Center, 1101 Kitchawan Rd, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA
| | - Lejian Huang
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 710 N Lake Shore Drive, Room 1020, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - James W. Griffith
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 710 N Lake Shore Drive, Room 1020, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Thomas J. Schnitzer
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 710 N Lake Shore Drive, Room 1020, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 710 N Lake Shore Drive, Room 1020, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - A. Vania Apkarian
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 710 N Lake Shore Drive, Room 1020, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 710 N Lake Shore Drive, Room 1020, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Anesthesia, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 710 N Lake Shore Drive, Room 1020, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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19
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Psycho-Neuro-Endocrine-Immunological Basis of the Placebo Effect: Potential Applications beyond Pain Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23084196. [PMID: 35457014 PMCID: PMC9028312 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The placebo effect can be defined as the improvement of symptoms in a patient after the administration of an innocuous substance in a context that induces expectations regarding its effects. During recent years, it has been discovered that the placebo response not only has neurobiological functions on analgesia, but that it is also capable of generating effects on the immune and endocrine systems. The possible integration of changes in different systems of the organism could favor the well-being of the individuals and go hand in hand with conventional treatment for multiple diseases. In this sense, classic conditioning and setting expectations stand out as psychological mechanisms implicated in the placebo effect. Recent advances in neuroimaging studies suggest a relationship between the placebo response and the opioid, cannabinoid, and monoaminergic systems. Likewise, a possible immune response conditioned by the placebo effect has been reported. There is evidence of immune suppression conditioned through the insular cortex and the amygdala, with noradrenalin as the responsible neurotransmitter. Finally, a conditioned response in the secretion of different hormones has been determined in different studies; however, the molecular mechanisms involved are not entirely known. Beyond studies about its mechanism of action, the placebo effect has proved to be useful in the clinical setting with promising results in the management of neurological, psychiatric, and immunologic disorders. However, more research is needed to better characterize its potential use. This review integrates current knowledge about the psycho-neuro-endocrine-immune basis of the placebo effect and its possible clinical applications.
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20
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Baker J, Gamer M, Rauh J, Brassen S. Placebo induced expectations of mood enhancement generate a positivity effect in emotional processing. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5345. [PMID: 35351936 PMCID: PMC8964732 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09342-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
A perceptual bias towards negative emotions is a consistent finding in mood disorders and a major target of therapeutic interventions. Placebo responses in antidepressant treatment are substantial, but it is unclear whether and how underlying expectancy effects can modulate response biases to emotional inputs. In a first attempt to approach this question, we investigated how placebo induced expectation can shape the perception of specific emotional stimuli in healthy individuals. In a controlled cross-over design, positive treatment expectations were induced by verbal instructions and a hidden training manipulation combined with an alleged oxytocin nasal spray before participants performed an emotion classification task on happy and fearful facial expressions with varying intensity. Analyses of response criterion and discrimination ability as derived from emotion-specific psychometric functions demonstrate that expectation specifically lowered participants’ threshold for identifying happy emotions in general, while they became less sensitive to subtle differences in emotional expressions. These indications of a positivity bias were directly correlated with participants’ treatment expectations as well as subjective experiences of treatment effects and went along with a significant mood enhancement. Our findings show that expectations can induce a perceptual positivity effect in healthy individuals which is probably modulated by top-down emotion regulation and which may be able to improve mood state. Clinical implications of these promising results now need to be explored in studies of expectation manipulation in patients with mood disorders.
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21
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Haas JW, Ongaro G, Jacobson E, Conboy LA, Nee J, Iturrino J, Rangan V, Lembo A, Kaptchuk TJ, Ballou S. Patients' experiences treated with open-label placebo versus double-blind placebo: a mixed methods qualitative study. BMC Psychol 2022; 10:20. [PMID: 35120572 PMCID: PMC8815135 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-00731-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is increasing evidence suggesting that open-label placebo (OLP) is an effective treatment for several medical conditions defined by self-report. However, little is known about patients’ experiences with OLP, and no studies have directly compared patients’ experiences in double-blind placebo (DBP) conditions. Methods This study was nested in a large randomized-controlled trial comparing the effects of OLP and DBP treatments in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We randomly selected 33 participants for interviews concerning their experiences in the parent trial. The data were qualitatively analyzed using an iterative immersion/crystallization approach. We then compared the qualitative interview data to the quantitative IBS severity data assessed during the parent trial, using a mixed methods approach. Results Two prominent interview themes were identified: (1) the participants’ feelings about their treatment allocation and (2) their reflections about the treatment. Both OLP and DBP participants mentioned hope and curiosity as major feelings driving them to engage with their treatment. However, while DBP participants tended to be more enthusiastic about their allocation, OLP participants were more ambivalent. Furthermore, OLP participants reflected more on their treatment, often involving noticeable cognitive and emotional processes of self-reflection. They offered a variety of explanations for their symptom improvement and were significantly less likely to attribute it to the treatment itself than DBP participants (Χ2 [3] = 8.28; p = .041). Similarly, the participants’ retrospective narratives of symptom improvement were significantly correlated with their corresponding quantitative IBS severity scores only in DBP (p’s ≤ .006) but not in OLP (p’s ≥ .637). Conclusion OLP and DBP participants share feelings of hope, uncertainty and curiosity but differ in the extent of conscious reflection. The counter-intuitive OLP prompts more self-examination, ambivalent feelings and active engagement compared to DBP. At the same time, OLP participants are more reluctant to attribute symptom improvement to their treatment. Our findings substantially add to the emerging picture of factors that distinguish OLP and DBP and their potential mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia W Haas
- Division of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Giulio Ongaro
- Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Anthropology, The London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
| | - Eric Jacobson
- Division of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lisa A Conboy
- Division of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Judy Nee
- Division of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Johanna Iturrino
- Division of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Vikram Rangan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Anthony Lembo
- Division of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Ted J Kaptchuk
- Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Ballou
- Division of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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22
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Yetman HE, Cox N, Adler SR, Hall KT, Stone VE. What Do Placebo and Nocebo Effects Have to Do With Health Equity? The Hidden Toll of Nocebo Effects on Racial and Ethnic Minority Patients in Clinical Care. Front Psychol 2022; 12:788230. [PMID: 35002881 PMCID: PMC8733207 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.788230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A placebo effect is a positive clinical response to non-specific elements of treatment with a sham or inert replica of a drug, device, or surgical intervention. There is considerable evidence that placebo effects are driven by expectation of benefit from the intervention. Expectation is shaped by a patient's past experience, observations of the experience of others, and written, verbal, or non-verbal information communicated during treatment. Not surprisingly, expectation in the clinical setting is strongly influenced by the attitude, affect, and communication style of the healthcare provider. While positive expectations can produce beneficial effects, negative information and experiences can lead to negative expectations, and consequently negative or nocebo effects. Key components identified and studied in the placebo and nocebo literature intersect with factors identified as barriers to quality care in the clinical setting for Black patients and other patients of color, including poor patient-clinician communication, medical mistrust, and perceived discrimination. Thus, in the context of discrimination and bias, the absence of placebo and presence of nocebo-generating influences in clinical settings could potentially reinforce racial and ethnic inequities in clinical outcomes and care. Healthcare inequities have consequences that ripple through the medical system, strengthening adverse short- and long-term outcomes. Here, we examine the potential for the presence of nocebo effects and absence of placebo effects to play a role in contributing to negative outcomes related to unequal treatment in the clinical encounter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailey E Yetman
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nevada Cox
- Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Shelley R Adler
- Osher Center for Integrative Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Kathryn T Hall
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Valerie E Stone
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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23
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Qiu Y, Mao Z, Yun D. Can the add-on placebo effect augment the physical and mental health outcomes of exercise? A meta-analysis. Appl Psychol Health Well Being 2021; 14:483-498. [PMID: 34749434 DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to clarify whether the add-on placebo effect can augment the psychological and physiological benefits of exercise. The inclusion criteria were met by 18 studies with 1,221 participants. The add-on placebo effects promoted a more positive affect (g = 0.430), greater self-esteem (g = 0.454), improved cardiorespiratory fitness (g = 0.273), and decreased perceived exertion (g = 0.476) and blood pressure (g = 0.268). Improved affect benefits were moderated by placebo type (elaboration > external medium), self-selected exercise intensity (no > yes), and exercise type (running > nonspecific). The results support the proposal that the add-on placebo effect can provide significant positive benefits for exercisers, particularly in terms of psychological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Qiu
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhixiong Mao
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Dongting Yun
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
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24
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Chvetzoff R, Laurent B, Baylot D, Chvetzoff G. [Scientific medicine and care relationship: From the therapeutic alliance to the therapeutic effect of the alliance]. Bull Cancer 2021; 108:837-842. [PMID: 34246457 DOI: 10.1016/j.bulcan.2021.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The new paradigm of precision medicine in oncology questions today the respective place of evidence-based medicine and doctor-patient relationship. Based on the results of a randomized study comparing the efficacy of a homeopathic molecule in the prevention of nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy in non-metastatic breast cancer, this article extends and develops the discussion of maintaining an unresolved tension between medical art and medical science, between care and cure. This tension sets a base for the authors of the therapeutic alliance in medicine, defined as a dialectic constantly adjourned between the alliance of the doctor with the patient and his therapy, and the therapeutic effect of this alliance. Because if a policy or a public opinion were to promote an exclusively rational medicine deprived of the field of relation to care, or on the contrary a medicine based only on clinical sense and intuition, then respectively the ethics of care and the progress of therapy would be threatened. It is advisable to be aware of erring from the truth, amplified today by social networks, as much due to a tide of scientific positivism, as an excess of the "good caring soul". Taking into account the therapeutic alliance makes it possible to no longer oppose scientific medicine and care relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Chvetzoff
- Cabinet Latitude Santé, 38460 Trept, France; Département de Sciences Humaines en santé (DESIH), UFR Lyon-Sud, Université Lyon 1, France.
| | - Bernard Laurent
- Centre Léon-Bérard, Département interdisciplinaire de soins de support du patient en oncologie (DISSPO), Université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1-UMR 1290, 69373 Lyon, France; Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, U1028 ; CNRS, UMR5292, Neuropain team, Inserm, 69500 Lyon, France
| | - Denis Baylot
- Centre Léon-Bérard, Département interdisciplinaire de soins de support du patient en oncologie (DISSPO), Université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1-UMR 1290, 69373 Lyon, France
| | - Gisèle Chvetzoff
- Centre Léon-Bérard, Département interdisciplinaire de soins de support du patient en oncologie (DISSPO), Université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1-UMR 1290, 69373 Lyon, France
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25
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Arandia IR, Di Paolo EA. Placebo From an Enactive Perspective. Front Psychol 2021; 12:660118. [PMID: 34149551 PMCID: PMC8206487 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.660118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to their complexity and variability, placebo effects remain controversial. We suggest this is also due to a set of problematic assumptions (dualism, reductionism, individualism, passivity). We critically assess current explanations and empirical evidence and propose an alternative theoretical framework-the enactive approach to life and mind-based on recent developments in embodied cognitive science. We review core enactive concepts such as autonomy, agency, and sense-making. Following these ideas, we propose a move from binary distinctions (e.g., conscious vs. non-conscious) to the more workable categories of reflective and pre-reflective activity. We introduce an ontology of individuation, following the work of Gilbert Simondon, that allow us to see placebo interventions not as originating causal chains, but as modulators and triggers in the regulation of tensions between ongoing embodied and interpersonal processes. We describe these interrelated processes involving looping effects through three intertwined dimensions of embodiment: organic, sensorimotor, and intersubjective. Finally, we defend the need to investigate therapeutic interactions in terms of participatory sense-making, going beyond the identification of individual social traits (e.g., empathy, trust) that contribute to placebo effects. We discuss resonances and differences between the enactive proposal, popular explanations such as expectations and conditioning, and other approaches based on meaning responses and phenomenological/ecological ideas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iñigo R. Arandia
- IAS-Research Center for Life, Mind and Society, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
- ISAAC Lab, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Ezequiel A. Di Paolo
- IAS-Research Center for Life, Mind and Society, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
- Ikerbasque-Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
- Center for Computational Neuroscience and Robotics, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
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26
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Flowers KM, Patton ME, Hruschak VJ, Fields KG, Schwartz E, Zeballos J, Kang JD, Edwards RR, Kaptchuk TJ, Schreiber KL. Conditioned open-label placebo for opioid reduction after spine surgery: a randomized controlled trial. Pain 2021; 162:1828-1839. [PMID: 33449503 PMCID: PMC8378225 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Placebo effects have traditionally involved concealment or deception. However, recent evidence suggests that placebo effects can also be elicited when prescribed transparently as "open-label placebos" (OLPs), and that the pairing of an unconditioned stimulus (eg, opioid analgesic) with a conditioned stimulus (eg, placebo pill) can lead to the conditioned stimulus alone reducing pain. In this randomized control trial, we investigated whether combining conditioning with an OLP (COLP) in the immediate postoperative period could reduce daily opioid use and postsurgical pain among patients recovering from spine surgery. Patients were randomized to COLP or treatment as usual, with both groups receiving unrestricted access to a typical opioid-based postoperative analgesic regimen. The generalized estimating equations method was used to assess the treatment effect of COLP on daily opioid consumption and pain during postoperative period from postoperative day (POD) 1 to POD 17. Patients in the COLP group consumed approximately 30% less daily morphine milligram equivalents compared with patients in the treatment as usual group during POD 1 to 17 (-14.5 daily morphine milligram equivalents; 95% CI: [-26.8, -2.2]). Daily worst pain scores were also lower in the COLP group (-1.0 point on the 10-point scale; 95% CI: [-2.0, -0.1]), although a significant difference was not detected in average daily pain between the groups (-0.8 point; 95% CI: [-1.7, 0.2]). These findings suggest that COLP may serve as a potential adjuvant analgesic therapy to decrease opioid consumption in the early postoperative period, without increasing pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey M. Flowers
- Departments of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Megan E. Patton
- Departments of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Valerie J. Hruschak
- Departments of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kara G. Fields
- Departments of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Emily Schwartz
- Departments of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jose Zeballos
- Departments of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - James D. Kang
- Departments of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Rob R. Edwards
- Departments of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ted J. Kaptchuk
- Program in Placebo Studies and Therapeutic Encounter, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kristin L. Schreiber
- Departments of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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27
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Barnes K, Rottman BM, Colagiuri B. The placebo effect: To explore or to exploit? Cognition 2021; 214:104753. [PMID: 34023671 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
How people choose between options with differing outcomes (explore-exploit) is a central question to understanding human behaviour. However, the standard explore-exploit paradigm relies on gamified tasks with low-stake outcomes. Consequently, little is known about decision making for biologically-relevant stimuli. Here, we combined placebo and explore-exploit paradigms to examine detection and selection of the most effective treatment in a pain model. During conditioning, where 'optimal' and 'suboptimal' sham-treatments were paired with a reduction in electrical pain stimulation, participants learnt which treatment most successfully reduced pain. Modelling participant responses revealed three important findings. First, participants' choices reflected both directed and random exploration. Second, expectancy modulated pain - indicative of recursive placebo effects. Third, individual differences in terms of expectancy during conditioning predicted placebo effects during a subsequent test phase. These findings reveal directed and random exploration when the outcome is biologically-relevant. Moreover, this research shows how placebo and explore-exploit literatures can be unified.
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28
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Xiao S, Chan P, Wang T, Hong Z, Wang S, Kuang W, He J, Pan X, Zhou Y, Ji Y, Wang L, Cheng Y, Peng Y, Ye Q, Wang X, Wu Y, Qu Q, Chen S, Li S, Chen W, Xu J, Peng D, Zhao Z, Li Y, Zhang J, Du Y, Chen W, Fan D, Yan Y, Liu X, Zhang W, Luo B, Wu W, Shen L, Liu C, Mao P, Wang Q, Zhao Q, Guo Q, Zhou Y, Li Y, Jiang L, Ren W, Ouyang Y, Wang Y, Liu S, Jia J, Zhang N, Liu Z, He R, Feng T, Lu W, Tang H, Gao P, Zhang Y, Chen L, Wang L, Yin Y, Xu Q, Xiao J, Cong L, Cheng X, Zhang H, Gao D, Xia M, Lian T, Peng G, Zhang X, Jiao B, Hu H, Chen X, Guan Y, Cui R, Huang Q, Xin X, Chen H, Ding Y, Zhang J, Feng T, Cantillon M, Chen K, Cummings JL, Ding J, Geng M, Zhang Z. A 36-week multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, phase 3 clinical trial of sodium oligomannate for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's dementia. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2021; 13:62. [PMID: 33731209 PMCID: PMC7967962 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-021-00795-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND New therapies are urgently needed for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Sodium oligomannate (GV-971) is a marine-derived oligosaccharide with a novel proposed mechanism of action. The first phase 3 clinical trial of GV-971 has been completed in China. METHODS We conducted a phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in participants with mild-to-moderate AD to assess GV-971 efficacy and safety. Participants were randomized to placebo or GV-971 (900 mg) for 36 weeks. The primary outcome was the drug-placebo difference in change from baseline on the 12-item cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog12). Secondary endpoints were drug-placebo differences on the Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change with caregiver input (CIBIC+), Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-ADL) scale, and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Safety and tolerability were monitored. RESULTS A total of 818 participants were randomized: 408 to GV-971 and 410 to placebo. A significant drug-placebo difference on the ADAS-Cog12 favoring GV-971 was present at each measurement time point, measurable at the week 4 visit and continuing throughout the trial. The difference between the groups in change from baseline was - 2.15 points (95% confidence interval, - 3.07 to - 1.23; p < 0.0001; effect size 0.531) after 36 weeks of treatment. Treatment-emergent adverse event incidence was comparable between active treatment and placebo (73.9%, 75.4%). Two deaths determined to be unrelated to drug effects occurred in the GV-971 group. CONCLUSIONS GV-971 demonstrated significant efficacy in improving cognition with sustained improvement across all observation periods of a 36-week trial. GV-971 was safe and well-tolerated. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT0229391 5. Registered on November 19, 2014.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shifu Xiao
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. .,Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 600 South Wan Ping Road, Shanghai, 200030, China.
| | - Piu Chan
- Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 600 South Wan Ping Road, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Zhen Hong
- Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuzhen Wang
- Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Weihong Kuang
- West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jincai He
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xiaoping Pan
- Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuying Zhou
- Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Huanhu Hospital Affiliated to Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yong Ji
- Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Huanhu Hospital Affiliated to Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Luning Wang
- Department of Geriatric Neurology of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Cheng
- Department of Neurology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Ying Peng
- Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qinyong Ye
- Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuncheng Wu
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiumin Qu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shengdi Chen
- Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Wei Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine and Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jun Xu
- Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, Yangzhou, China
| | - Dantao Peng
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | | | - Yansheng Li
- Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Junjian Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yifeng Du
- Shandong Provinical Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Weixian Chen
- Jiangsu Province People's Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | | | - Yong Yan
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaowei Liu
- Department of Geriatric psychiatry, Wuxi Mental Health Center, Wuxi, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Benyan Luo
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenyuan Wu
- Tongji Hospital of Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lu Shen
- Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chunfeng Liu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Peixian Mao
- Beijing An Ding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Qiumei Wang
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Qianhua Zhao
- Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qihao Guo
- Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongtao Zhou
- Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Li
- Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Lijun Jiang
- West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenwei Ren
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yingjun Ouyang
- Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Huanhu Hospital Affiliated to Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuai Liu
- Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Huanhu Hospital Affiliated to Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianjun Jia
- Department of Geriatric Neurology of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhonglin Liu
- Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Raoli He
- Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Tingyi Feng
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenhui Lu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Huidong Tang
- Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Gao
- Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yingchun Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine and Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lanlan Chen
- Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, Yangzhou, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - You Yin
- Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Qun Xu
- Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinsong Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lin Cong
- Shandong Provinical Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Xi Cheng
- Jiangsu Province People's Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Dan Gao
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Minghua Xia
- Department of Geriatric psychiatry, Wuxi Mental Health Center, Wuxi, China
| | - Tenghong Lian
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Guoping Peng
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Tongji Hospital of Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Jiao
- Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hua Hu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xueyan Chen
- Beijing An Ding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yihui Guan
- Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruixue Cui
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Qiu Huang
- Med-X Research Institution, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianliang Xin
- Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., No. 421, Niudun Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongjian Chen
- Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., No. 421, Niudun Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Ding
- Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., No. 421, Niudun Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., No. 421, Niudun Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Teng Feng
- Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., No. 421, Niudun Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Marc Cantillon
- Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., No. 421, Niudun Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Kewei Chen
- Banner Alzheimer's Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Cummings
- Chamberrs-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience, Department of Brain Health, School of Integrated Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA
| | - Jian Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu chong zhi Road, Nevada, China
| | - Meiyu Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu chong zhi Road, Nevada, China.
| | - Zhenxin Zhang
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Beijing, 100730, China.
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Peciña M, Dombrovski AY, Price R, Karim HT. Understanding the Neurocomputational Mechanisms of Antidepressant Placebo Effects. JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY AND BRAIN SCIENCE 2021; 6:e210001. [PMID: 33732892 PMCID: PMC7963355 DOI: 10.20900/jpbs.20210001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Over the last two decades, neuroscientists have used antidepressant placebo probes to examine the biological mechanisms implicated in antidepressant placebo effects. However, findings from these studies have not yet elucidated a model-based theory that would explain the mechanism through which antidepressant expectancies evolve to induce persistent mood changes. Emerging evidence suggests that antidepressant placebo effects may be informed by models of reinforcement learning (RL). Such that an individual's expectation of improvement is updated with the arrival of new sensory evidence, by incorporating a reward prediction error (RPE), which signals the mismatch between the expected (expected value) and perceived improvement. Consistent with this framework, neuroimaging studies of antidepressant placebo effects have demonstrated placebo-induced μ-opioid activation and increased blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) responses in regions tracking expected values (e.g., ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC)) and RPEs (e.g., ventral striatum (VS)). In this study, we will demonstrate the causal contribution of reward learning signals (expected values and RPEs) to antidepressant placebo effects by experimentally manipulating expected values using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) targeting the vmPFC and μ-opioid striatal RPE signal using pharmacological approaches. We hypothesized that antidepressant placebo expectancies are represented in the vmPFC (expected value) and updated by means of μ-opioid-modulated striatal learning signal. In a 3 × 3 factorial double-blind design, we will randomize 120 antidepressant-free individuals with depressive symptoms to one of three between-subject opioid conditions: the μ-opioid agonist buprenorphine, the μ-opioid antagonist naltrexone, or an inert pill. Within each arm, individuals will be assigned to receive three within-subject counterbalanced forms of TMS targeting the vmPFC-intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS) expected to potentiate the vmPFC, continuous TBS expected to de-potentiate the vmPFC, or sham TBS. These experimental manipulations will be used to modulate trial-by-trial reward learning signals and related brain activity during the Antidepressant Placebo functional MRI (fMRI) Task to address the following aims: (1) investigate the relationship between reward learning signals within the vmPFC-VS circuit and antidepressant placebo effects; (2) examine the causal contribution of vmPFC expected value computations to antidepressant placebo effects; and (3) investigate the causal contribution of μ-opioid-modulated striatal RPEs to antidepressant placebo effects. The proposed study will be the first to investigate the causal contribution of μ-opioid-modulated vmPFC-VS learning signals to antidepressant placebo responses, paving the way for developing novel treatments modulating learning processes and objective means of quantifying and potentially reducing placebo effects during drug development. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04276259.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Peciña
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | | | - Rebecca Price
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Helmet T. Karim
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
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30
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Frangos E, Čeko M, Wang B, Richards EA, Gracely JL, Colloca L, Schweinhardt P, Bushnell MC. Neural effects of placebo analgesia in fibromyalgia patients and healthy individuals. Pain 2021; 162:641-652. [PMID: 32925593 PMCID: PMC7808362 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Placebo analgesia is hypothesized to involve top-down engagement of prefrontal regions that access endogenous pain inhibiting opioid pathways. Fibromyalgia (FM) patients have neuroanatomical and neurochemical alterations in pathways relevant to placebo analgesia. Thus, it remains unclear whether placebo analgesic mechanisms would differ in FM patients compared to healthy controls (HCs). Here, using placebo-analgesia-inducing paradigms that included verbal suggestions and conditioning manipulations, we examined whether behavioral and neural placebo analgesic responses differed between 32 FM patients and 46 age- and sex-matched HCs. Participants underwent a manipulation scan, where noxious high and low heat were paired with the control and placebo cream, respectively, and a placebo experimental scan with equal noxious heat temperatures. Before the experimental scan, each participant received saline or naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist. Across all participants, the placebo condition decreased pain intensity and unpleasantness ratings, decreased activity within the right insula and bilateral secondary somatosensory cortex, and modulated the neurologic pain signature. There were no differences between HCs and FM patients in pain intensity ratings or neural responses during the placebo condition. Despite the perceptual and neural effects of the placebo manipulation, prefrontal circuitry was not activated during the expectation period and the placebo analgesia was unaltered by naloxone, suggesting placebo effects were driven more by conditioning than expectation. Together, these findings suggest that placebo analgesia can occur in both HCs and chronic pain FM patients, without the involvement of opioidergic prefrontal modulatory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Frangos
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Marta Čeko
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Binquan Wang
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Emily A. Richards
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - John L. Gracely
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Luana Colloca
- Department of Pain Translational Symptom Science, School of Nursing, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MA, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MA, United States
| | - Petra Schweinhardt
- The Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Chiropractic Medicine, Balgrist University Hospital and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - M. Catherine Bushnell
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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31
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Zhang J, Wu X, Nie D, Zhuo Y, Li J, Hu Q, Xu J, Yu H. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Studies on Acupuncture Therapy in Depression: A Systematic Review. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:670739. [PMID: 34489749 PMCID: PMC8417590 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.670739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating studies had been performed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to understand the neural mechanism of acupuncture therapy for depression. However, inconsistencies remain due to differences in research designs and MRI analytical methods. Therefore, we aim to summarize the current MRI research and provide useful information for further research by identifying papers published in English and Chinese about MRI studies on acupuncture for depression up to November 2020. A total of 22 studies met the inclusion criteria, including 810 depression patients and 416 health controls (HCs). The applied designs of these studies are mainly random control trial and pre-post designs. The MRI analytical methods are mainly (fractional) amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF/ALFF) and functional connectivity (FC), whereas a small subset of studies used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The most consistent functional MRI (fMRI) results showed increased N-acetylaspartate/creatine (NAA/Cr) ratios, increased ALFF in the right precuneus, decreased ALFF in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and increased FC of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). In contrast, no significant neurological changes were identified in any of the DTI or VBM studies. However, clear, reliable conclusions cannot be drawn due to the use of different designs, analytical methods, seed points selected, types of depression, acupuncture points, and so on. Improved report specifications, well-designed studies, consistent analytical methods, and larger sample sizes will enable the field to better elucidate the underlying mechanisms of acupuncture in depressed patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhuan Zhang
- The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China.,Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaoxiong Wu
- The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dehui Nie
- The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhuo
- Acupuncture Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiaying Li
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qingmao Hu
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinping Xu
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haibo Yu
- The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China.,Acupuncture Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, China
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Alter BJ, Aung MS, Strigo IA, Fields HL. Onset hyperalgesia and offset analgesia: Transient increases or decreases of noxious thermal stimulus intensity robustly modulate subsequent perceived pain intensity. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231124. [PMID: 33290407 PMCID: PMC7723268 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Reported pain intensity depends not only on stimulus intensity but also on previously experienced pain. A painfully hot temperature applied to the skin evokes a lower subjective pain intensity if immediately preceded by a higher temperature, a phenomenon called offset analgesia. Previous work indicated that prior pain experience can also increase subsequent perceived pain intensity. Therefore, we examined whether a given noxious stimulus is experienced as more intense when it is preceded by an increase from a lower temperature. Using healthy volunteer subjects, we observed a disproportionate increase in pain intensity at a given stimulus intensity when this intensity is preceded by a rise from a lower intensity. This disproportionate increase is similar in magnitude to that of offset analgesia. We call this effect onset hyperalgesia. Control stimuli, in which a noxious temperature is held constant, demonstrate that onset hyperalgesia is distinct from receptor or central sensitization. The absolute magnitudes of offset analgesia and onset hyperalgesia correlate with each other but not with the noxious stimulus temperature. Finally, the magnitude of both offset analgesia and onset hyperalgesia depends on preceding temperature changes. Overall, this study demonstrates that the perceptual effect of a noxious thermal stimulus is influenced in a bidirectional manner depending upon both the intensity and direction of change of the immediately preceding thermal stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedict J. Alter
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Mya Sandi Aung
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Irina A. Strigo
- San Francisco VA Health Care System & Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Howard L. Fields
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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Morphine-Conditioned Placebo Analgesia in Female and Male Rats with Chronic Neuropathic Pain: c-Fos Expression in the Rostral Ventromedial Medulla. Neuroscience 2020; 457:51-73. [PMID: 33285237 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.11.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Placebo analgesia has great potential to overcome the inadequacies of current drug therapies to treat conditions of chronic pain. The rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) has been implicated as a critical relay in the antinociceptive pathway underpinning placebo analgesia in humans. We developed a model of opiate-conditioned placebo analgesia in rats with neuropathic injury to identify medullary nuclei active during placebo analgesia. Using female and male rats the degree of thermal allodynia was first determined following nerve injury, and a pharmacological conditioning procedure, pairing contextual cues with the experience of morphine-induced analgesia, was used to elicit placebo analgesic reactions. This protocol revealed clear subpopulations of placebo reactors (36% of males, 25% of females) and non-reactors in proportions similar to those reported in human studies. We detected injury-specific c-Fos expression in the gracile nucleus and morphine-specific c-Fos expression in the serotonergic midline raphe nuclei and the caudal nuclei of the solitary tract. However, c-Fos expression did not differ between placebo reactors and non-reactors in either serotonergic or non-serotonergic neurons of the RVM. Despite a subpopulation of rats demonstrating placebo reactions, we found no evidence for enhanced activity in the nuclei from which the classical RVM → spinal cord descending analgesic pathways emerge.
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Li JL, Liu CZ, Zhang N, Yan CQ, Tu JF, Wang LQ, Qi YS, Liu JH, Wang X. Neurological and psychological mechanisms of the specific and nonspecific effects of acupuncture on knee osteoarthritis: study protocol for a randomized, controlled, crossover trial. Trials 2020; 21:989. [PMID: 33256796 PMCID: PMC7706223 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-020-04908-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Acupuncture, as one of the promising non-pharmacological interventions, has been proved to be beneficial for patients. However, the magnitude of acupuncture’s specific and nonspecific effects, as well as their neurological and psychological determinants, remains unclear. Therefore, this study is designed to examine the acupuncture efficacy, investigate whether the brain mechanisms between the specific and nonspecific effects of acupuncture are different, and to evaluate how psychological factors affect the acupuncture effects. Methods This is a randomized, controlled, crossover clinical trial. A total of 60 patients with knee osteoarthritis will receive 4 weeks of acupuncture treatment and 4 weeks of sham acupuncture treatment in a random order separated by a washout period of 2 weeks. The changes in clinical characteristics based on pain-related scales will be assessed to investigate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans will be used to identify the brain activity changes related to the specific and nonspecific effects of acupuncture. The questionnaires of psychological factors will be used to evaluate patients’ psychological properties. Correlation and mediation analyses will be conducted among psychological factors, brain activity changes, and symptoms improvement to explore the neurological and psychological correlates of the acupuncture effects. Discussion This study will concentrate on distinguishing and clarifying the specific and nonspecific effects of acupuncture. The results of this study may contribute to rationally optimize the acupuncture therapies by flexible application of the specific and nonspecific effects of acupuncture. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1900025807. Registered on 9 September 2019 Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-020-04908-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Ling Li
- Acupuncture Research Center, School of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Cun-Zhi Liu
- Acupuncture Research Center, School of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Na Zhang
- Acupuncture Research Center, School of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Chao-Qun Yan
- Acupuncture Research Center, School of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Jian-Feng Tu
- Acupuncture Research Center, School of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Li-Qiong Wang
- Acupuncture Research Center, School of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - You-Sheng Qi
- Nanyuan Community Health Service Center, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100076, China
| | - Jun-Hong Liu
- Nanyuan Community Health Service Center, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100076, China
| | - Xu Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
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Fight fire with fire: Neurobiology of capsaicin-induced analgesia for chronic pain. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 220:107743. [PMID: 33181192 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Capsaicin, the pungent ingredient in chili peppers, produces intense burning pain in humans. Capsaicin selectively activates the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), which is enriched in nociceptive primary afferents, and underpins the mechanism for capsaicin-induced burning pain. Paradoxically, capsaicin has long been used as an analgesic. The development of topical patches and injectable formulations containing capsaicin has led to application in clinical settings to treat chronic pain conditions, such as neuropathic pain and the potential to treat osteoarthritis. More detailed determination of the neurobiological mechanisms of capsaicin-induced analgesia should provide the logical rationale for capsaicin therapy and help to overcome the treatment's limitations, which include individual differences in treatment outcome and procedural discomfort. Low concentrations of capsaicin induce short-term defunctionalization of nociceptor terminals. This phenomenon is reversible within hours and, hence, likely does not account for the clinical benefit. By contrast, high concentrations of capsaicin lead to long-term defunctionalization mediated by the ablation of TRPV1-expressing afferent terminals, resulting in long-lasting analgesia persisting for several months. Recent studies have shown that capsaicin-induced Ca2+/calpain-mediated ablation of axonal terminals is necessary to produce long-lasting analgesia in a mouse model of neuropathic pain. In combination with calpain, axonal mitochondrial dysfunction and microtubule disorganization may also contribute to the longer-term effects of capsaicin. The analgesic effects subside over time in association with the regeneration of the ablated afferent terminals. Further determination of the neurobiological mechanisms of capsaicin-induced analgesia should lead to more efficacious non-opioidergic analgesic options with fewer adverse side effects.
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36
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Shen Z, Xu Q, Jin L. Structured procedures promote placebo effects. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2020.104029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Chen J, Mizuno A, Lyew T, Karim HT, Karp JF, Dombrovski AY, Peciña M. Naltrexone modulates contextual processing in depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:2070-2078. [PMID: 32843703 PMCID: PMC7547720 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00809-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Context, the information surrounding an experience, can significantly alter the meaning and the affective responses to events. Yet the biological mechanisms through which context modulate experiences are not entirely understood. Here, we hypothesized that the µ-opioid system-extensively implicated in placebo effects, a clinical phenomenon thought to rely on contextual processing-modulates the effects of contextual information on emotional attributions in patients with depression. To test this hypothesis, 20 unmedicated patients with depression completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study of one dose of 50 mg of naltrexone, or placebo immediately before completing two sessions of the Contextual Framing fMRI task. This task captures effects of valenced contextual cues (pleasant vs. unpleasant) on emotional attribution (the rating of subtle emotional faces: fearful, neutral, or happy). Behaviorally, we found that emotional attribution was significantly moderated by the interaction between contextual cues and subtle emotional faces, such that participants' ratings of valenced faces (fearful and happy), compared to neutral, were more negative during unpleasant, compared to pleasant context cues. At a neural level, context-induced blood-oxygen-level-dependent responses in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the dorsal anterior cingulate, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, significantly moderated the effects of context on emotional attribution, and were blunted by naltrexone. Furthermore, the effects of naltrexone on emotional attribution were partially abolished in more severely depressed patients. Our results provide insights into the molecular alterations underlying context representation in patients with depression, providing pivotal early data for future treatment studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Chen
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - A. Mizuno
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - T. Lyew
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - H. T. Karim
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - J. F. Karp
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - A. Y. Dombrovski
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - M. Peciña
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA USA
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38
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Tinnermann A, Büchel C, Cohen-Adad J. Cortico-spinal imaging to study pain. Neuroimage 2020; 224:117439. [PMID: 33039624 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain has helped to reveal mechanisms of pain perception in health and disease. Recently, imaging approaches have been developed that allow recording neural activity simultaneously in the brain and in the spinal cord. These approaches offer the possibility to examine pain perception in the entire central pain system and in addition, to investigate cortico-spinal interactions during pain processing. Although cortico-spinal imaging is a promising technique, it bears challenges concerning data acquisition and data analysis strategies. In this review, we discuss studies that applied simultaneous imaging of the brain and spinal cord to explore central pain processing. Furthermore, we describe different MR-related acquisition techniques, summarize advantages and disadvantages of approaches that have been implemented so far and present software that has been specifically developed for the analysis of spinal fMRI data to address challenges of spinal data analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Tinnermann
- Department for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Christian Büchel
- Department for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Julien Cohen-Adad
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Functional Neuroimaging Unit, CRIUGM, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Meissner K, Lutter D, von Toerne C, Haile A, Woods SC, Hoffmann V, Ohmayer U, Hauck SM, Tschoep MH. Molecular classification of the placebo effect in nausea. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0238533. [PMID: 32966280 PMCID: PMC7511022 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In this proof-of-concept study, we tested whether placebo effects can be monitored and predicted by plasma proteins. In a randomized controlled design, 90 participants were exposed to a nauseating stimulus on two separate days and were randomly allocated to placebo treatment or no treatment on the second day. Significant placebo effects on nausea, motion sickness, and (in females) gastric activity could be verified. Using label-free tandem mass spectrometry, 74 differentially regulated proteins were identified as correlates of the placebo effect. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analyses identified acute-phase proteins and microinflammatory proteins to be involved, and the identified GO signatures predicted day-adjusted scores of nausea indices in the placebo group. We also performed GO enrichment analyses of specific plasma proteins predictable by the experimental factors or their interactions and identified 'grooming behavior' as a prominent hit. Finally, Receiver Operator Characteristics (ROC) allowed to identify plasma proteins differentiating placebo responders from non-responders, comprising immunoglobulins and proteins involved in oxidation reduction processes and complement activation. Plasma proteomics is a promising tool to identify molecular correlates and predictors of the placebo effect in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Meissner
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Division of Health Promotion, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Coburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Lutter
- Institute of Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Christine von Toerne
- Research Unit Protein Science, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Anja Haile
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stephen C. Woods
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Metabolic Diseases Institute, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Verena Hoffmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Uli Ohmayer
- Research Unit Protein Science, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Stefanie M. Hauck
- Research Unit Protein Science, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Matthias H. Tschoep
- Institute of Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Division of Metabolic Diseases, Department of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
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40
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Wang T, Kuang W, Chen W, Xu W, Zhang L, Li Y, Li H, Peng Y, Chen Y, Wang B, Xiao J, Li H, Yan C, Du Y, Tang M, He Z, Chen H, Li W, Lin H, Shi S, Bi J, Zhou H, Cheng Y, Gao X, Guan Y, Huang Q, Chen K, Xin X, Ding J, Geng M, Xiao S. A phase II randomized trial of sodium oligomannate in Alzheimer's dementia. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2020; 12:110. [PMID: 32928279 PMCID: PMC7489025 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-020-00678-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sodium oligomannate (GV-971), a marine-derived oligosaccharide, is a novel agent that may improve cognition in AD patients. METHODS The 24-week multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo parallel controlled clinical trial was conducted in AD in China between 24 October 2011 and 10 July 2013. The study included a 4-week screening/washout period, followed by a 24-week treatment period. Patients were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive GV-971 900 mg, 600 mg, or placebo capsule in treatment period, respectively. The primary outcome was cognitive improvement as assessed by changes in Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale 12-item (ADAS-cog12) scores from baseline to week 24. The secondary efficacy outcomes included CIBIC-Plus, ADCS-ADL, and NPI at 24 weeks after treatment compared with baseline. A subgroup study was assessment of the change in cerebral glucose metabolism by fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography measurements. RESULTS Comparing with the placebo group (n = 83, change - 1.45), the ADAS-cog12 score change in the GV-971 600-mg group (n = 76) was - 1.39 (p = 0.89) and the GV-971 900-mg group (n = 83) was - 2.58 (p = 0.30). The treatment responders according to CIBIC-Plus assessment were significantly higher in the GV-971 900-mg group than the placebo group (92.77% vs. 79.52%, p < 0.05). The GV-971 900-mg subgroup showed a lower decline of cerebral metabolic rate for glucose than the placebo subgroup at the left precuneus, right posterior cingulate, bilateral hippocampus, and bilateral inferior orbital frontal at uncorrected p = 0.05. The respective rates of treatment-related AEs were 5.9%, 14.3%, and 3.5%. CONCLUSIONS GV-971 was safe and well tolerated. GV-971 900 mg was chosen for phase III clinical study. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01453569 . Registered on October 18, 2011.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wang
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. .,Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Center of Shanghai Jiaotong University, 600 South Wan Ping Road, Shanghai, 200030, China.
| | - Weihong Kuang
- Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Neurology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Affiliated with the Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenwei Xu
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Wuxi Mental Health Center, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Liming Zhang
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yingjie Li
- Department of Neurology, The Hospital of 81st Group Army PLA, Zhangjiakou, Hebei, China
| | - Hailin Li
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ying Peng
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yangmei Chen
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Baojun Wang
- Department of Neurology, Baotou Central Hospital, Baotou, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
| | - Jinsong Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Honghua Li
- Department of Neurology, Central War Zone General Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Chuanzhu Yan
- Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yifeng Du
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Mouni Tang
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Guangzhou Brian Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhiyi He
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Haibo Chen
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Lin
- Department of Neurology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shanxi, China
| | - Shugui Shi
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital Affiliated to AMU (Southwest Hospital), Chongqing, China
| | - Jianzhong Bi
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Huadong Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Daping Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Cheng
- Department of Neurology, Tianjin Medical University general hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoping Gao
- Department of Neurology, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yihui Guan
- PET Center Huashan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiu Huang
- Med-X Research Institution, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kewei Chen
- Banner Alzheimer's Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Xianliang Xin
- Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Meiyu Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Shifu Xiao
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. .,Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Center of Shanghai Jiaotong University, 600 South Wan Ping Road, Shanghai, 200030, China.
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Bernstein MH, Locher C, Kube T, Buergler S, Stewart-Ferrer S, Blease C. Putting the 'Art' Into the 'Art of Medicine': The Under-Explored Role of Artifacts in Placebo Studies. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1354. [PMID: 32774310 PMCID: PMC7387723 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Research in social psychology demonstrates that physical environmental factors – or “artifacts” such as provider clothing and office décor – can influence health outcomes. However, the role of artifacts in augmenting or diminishing health outcomes is under-explored in the burgeoning discipline of placebo studies. In this paper, we argue that a careful consideration of artifacts may carry significant potential in informing how placebo effects can be maximized, and nocebo effects minimized in clinical settings. We discuss the potential mechanisms, including classical conditioning, response expectancy, and mindsets, by which artifacts might enhance or diminish these effects. Next, we propose testable hypotheses to investigate how placebo and nocebo effects might be elicited by artifacts in care settings, and conclude by providing innovative research designs to advance this novel research agendum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael H Bernstein
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Cosima Locher
- School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom.,Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Kube
- Division of General Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Pain and Psychotherapy Research Lab, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Sarah Buergler
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sif Stewart-Ferrer
- Research Unit of General Practice, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Charlotte Blease
- Division of General Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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42
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Zhang N, Li JL, Yan CQ, Wang X, Lin LL, Tu JF, Qi YS, Liu JH, Liu CZ, Wang LQ. The cerebral mechanism of the specific and nonspecific effects of acupuncture based on knee osteoarthritis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2020; 21:566. [PMID: 32576243 PMCID: PMC7310547 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-020-04518-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Research on the effect of acupuncture has been limited. Whether the effect of acupuncture is equivalent to placebo has been the focus of debate in this field. This study will explore the specific and non-specific effects of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods and design Ninety participants diagnosed with KOA will be randomly divided into the acupuncture group, sham acupuncture group, and waiting list group in a ratio of 1:1:1. Except for the waiting list group, the other participants will receive acupuncture or sham acupuncture three sessions per week for 4 weeks respectively. The primary outcome will be the response rate which is defined on an individual basis as at least a 2-point decrease in the numerical rating scale (NRS) of pain at the end of intervention period compared with the baseline. fMRI scans will be performed at baseline and the end of the intervention period to examine the response of various brain regions. The secondary outcomes will include the Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), State-Trait Anxiety Scale-State Anxiety Subscale (STAI-S), and Stanford Expectations of Treatment Scale (SETS). Pearson’s correlation coefficient will be performed to investigate the changes in brain activity and clinical variables. Discussion The results of our study will help to evaluate the specific and nonspecific effects of acupuncture combined with clinical and brain function changes based on KOA. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1900025799. Registered on 9 September 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Zhang
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Shandong University of Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Acupuncture Research Center, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, Bei San Huan Dong Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Jin-Ling Li
- Acupuncture Research Center, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, Bei San Huan Dong Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Chao-Qun Yan
- Acupuncture Research Center, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, Bei San Huan Dong Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Xu Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Lu-Lu Lin
- Acupuncture Research Center, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, Bei San Huan Dong Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Jian-Feng Tu
- Acupuncture Research Center, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, Bei San Huan Dong Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - You-Sheng Qi
- Nanyuan Community Health Service Center, Fengtai District, Beijing, China
| | - Jun-Hong Liu
- Nanyuan Community Health Service Center, Fengtai District, Beijing, China
| | - Cun-Zhi Liu
- Acupuncture Research Center, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, Bei San Huan Dong Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Li-Qiong Wang
- Acupuncture Research Center, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11, Bei San Huan Dong Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, China.
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Rossettini G, Camerone EM, Carlino E, Benedetti F, Testa M. Context matters: the psychoneurobiological determinants of placebo, nocebo and context-related effects in physiotherapy. Arch Physiother 2020; 10:11. [PMID: 32537245 PMCID: PMC7288522 DOI: 10.1186/s40945-020-00082-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Placebo and nocebo effects embody psychoneurobiological phenomena where behavioural, neurophysiological, perceptive and cognitive changes occur during the therapeutic encounter in the healthcare context. Placebo effects are produced by a positive healthcare context; while nocebo effects are consequences of negative healthcare context. Historically, placebo, nocebo and context-related effects were considered as confounding elements for clinicians and researchers. In the last two decades this attitude started to change, and the understanding of the value of these effects has increased. Despite the growing interest, the knowledge and the awareness of using the healthcare context to trigger placebo and nocebo effects is currently limited and heterogeneous among physiotherapists, reducing their translational value in the physiotherapy field. Objectives To introduce the placebo, nocebo and context-related effects by: (1) presenting their psychological models; (2) describing their neurophysiological mechanisms; (3) underlining their impact for the physiotherapy profession; and (4) tracing lines for future researches. Conclusion Several psychological mechanisms are involved in placebo, nocebo and context-related effects; including expectation, learning processes (classical conditioning and observational learning), reinforced expectations, mindset and personality traits. The neurophysiological mechanisms mainly include the endogenous opioid, the endocannabinoid and the dopaminergic systems. Neuroimaging studies have identified different brain regions involved such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, the periaqueductal gray and the dorsal horn of spine. From a clinical perspective, the manipulation of the healthcare context with the best evidence-based therapy represents an opportunity to trigger placebo effects and to avoid nocebo effects respecting the ethical code of conduct. From a managerial perspective, stakeholders, organizations and governments should encourage the assessment of the healthcare context aimed to improve the quality of physiotherapy services. From an educational perspective, placebo and nocebo effects are professional topics that should be integrated in the university program of health and medical professions. From a research perspective, the control of placebo, nocebo and context-related effects offers to the scientific community the chance to better measure the impact of physiotherapy on different outcomes and in different conditions through primary studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Rossettini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophtalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genova, Campus Universitario di Savona, via Magliotto 2, 17100 Savona, Italy
| | - Eleonora Maria Camerone
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophtalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genova, Campus Universitario di Savona, via Magliotto 2, 17100 Savona, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy
| | - Elisa Carlino
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Benedetti
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy.,Plateau Rosà Laboratories, Plateau Rosà Laboratories, Zermatt, Switzerland
| | - Marco Testa
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophtalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genova, Campus Universitario di Savona, via Magliotto 2, 17100 Savona, Italy
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44
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Meeuwis SH, van Middendorp H, van Laarhoven AIM, van Leijenhorst C, Pacheco-Lopez G, Lavrijsen APM, Veldhuijzen DS, Evers AWM. Placebo and nocebo effects for itch and itch-related immune outcomes: A systematic review of animal and human studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:325-337. [PMID: 32240668 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Placebo and nocebo effects can influence somatic symptoms such as pain. For itch and other dermatological symptoms these effects have been far less investigated. This review systematically integrates evidence from both animal (mainly rodents) and human trials on placebo and nocebo effects in itch, itch-related symptoms and conditions of the skin and mucous membranes, and related immune outcomes (e.g., histamine). Thirty-one animal studies, and fifty-five human studies (k = 21 healthy participants, k = 34 patients) were included. Overall, studies consistently show that placebo and nocebo effects can be induced by various methods (e.g., suggestions, conditioning and social cues), despite high heterogeneity across studies. Effects of suggestions were found consistently across subjective and behavioral parameters (e.g., itch and scratching in humans), whereas conditioning was likely to impact physiological parameters under certain conditions (e.g., conditioning of histamine levels in stressed rodents). Brain areas responsible for itch processing were associated with nocebo effects. Future research may investigate how variations in methods impact placebo and nocebo effects, and whether all symptoms and conditions can be influenced equally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie H Meeuwis
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300RB, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Henriët van Middendorp
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300RB, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Antoinette I M van Laarhoven
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300RB, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Cora van Leijenhorst
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300RB, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Gustavo Pacheco-Lopez
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300RB, Leiden, the Netherlands; Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM), Campus Lerma, Health Sciences Department, Lerma, 52005, Edo Mex, Mexico
| | - Adriana P M Lavrijsen
- Department of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Dieuwke S Veldhuijzen
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300RB, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Andrea W M Evers
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300RB, Leiden, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300RC, Leiden, the Netherlands
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45
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Kobayashi M, Ikeda T, Tokuda T, Monden Y, Nagashima M, Mizushima SG, Inoue T, Shimamura K, Ujiie Y, Arakawa A, Kuroiwa C, Ishijima M, Kishimoto Y, Kanazawa S, Yamagata T, Yamaguchi MK, Sakuta R, Dan I. Acute administration of methylphenidate differentially affects cortical processing of emotional facial expressions in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder children as studied by functional near-infrared spectroscopy. NEUROPHOTONICS 2020; 7:025003. [PMID: 32377545 PMCID: PMC7201297 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.7.2.025003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Significance: It has been reported that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have impairment in the recognition of angry but not of happy facial expressions, and they show atypical cortical activation patterns in response to facial expressions. However, little is known about neural mechanisms underlying the impaired recognition of facial expressions in school-aged children with ADHD and the effects of acute medication on their processing of facial expressions. Aim: We aimed to investigate the possibility that acute administration of methylphenidate (MPH) affects processing of facial expressions in ADHD children. Approach: We measured the hemodynamic changes in the bilateral temporo-occipital areas of ADHD children observing the happy and angry facial expressions before and 1.5 h after MPH or placebo administration in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design study. Results: We found that, regardless of medication, happy expressions induced increased oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) responses in the right inferior occipital region but not in the superior temporal region. For angry expressions, oxy-Hb responses increased after MPH administration, but not after placebo administration, in the left inferior occipital area, whereas there was no significant activation before MPH administration. Conclusions: Our results suggest that (1) ADHD children consistently recruit the right inferior occipital regions to process happy expressions and (2) MPH administration to ADHD children enhances cortical activation in the left inferior occipital regions when they process angry expressions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megumi Kobayashi
- Institute for Developmental Research, Aichi Developmental Disability Center, Department of Functioning and Disability, Kagiya-cho, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan
- RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) Group, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Ikeda
- RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) Group, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Jichi Medical University, Department of Pediatrics, Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Tokuda
- RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) Group, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Chuo University, Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukifumi Monden
- RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) Group, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Jichi Medical University, Department of Pediatrics, Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan
- Chuo University, Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- International University of Health and Welfare, Department of Pediatrics, Iguchi, Nasushiobara, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Masako Nagashima
- RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) Group, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Jichi Medical University, Department of Pediatrics, Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Sakae G. Mizushima
- RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) Group, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Chuo University, Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeshi Inoue
- RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) Group, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Dokkyo Medical University, Child Development and Psychosomatic Medicine Center, Minamikoshigaya, Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan
| | - Keiichi Shimamura
- RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) Group, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Dokkyo Medical University, Child Development and Psychosomatic Medicine Center, Minamikoshigaya, Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yuta Ujiie
- RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) Group, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Chuo University, Research and Development Initiative, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akari Arakawa
- RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) Group, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Dokkyo Medical University, Child Development and Psychosomatic Medicine Center, Minamikoshigaya, Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan
| | - Chie Kuroiwa
- RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) Group, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Dokkyo Medical University, Child Development and Psychosomatic Medicine Center, Minamikoshigaya, Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan
| | - Mayuko Ishijima
- Jichi Medical University, Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Yuki Kishimoto
- Chuo University, Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - So Kanazawa
- RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) Group, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Japan Women’s University, Department of Psychology, Nishi-Ikuta, Tama, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takanori Yamagata
- Jichi Medical University, Department of Pediatrics, Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Masami K. Yamaguchi
- RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) Group, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Chuo University, Department of Psychology, Higashinakano, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Sakuta
- RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) Group, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Dokkyo Medical University, Child Development and Psychosomatic Medicine Center, Minamikoshigaya, Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan
| | - Ippeita Dan
- RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) Group, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Chuo University, Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
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46
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Geuter S, Reynolds Losin EA, Roy M, Atlas LY, Schmidt L, Krishnan A, Koban L, Wager TD, Lindquist MA. Multiple Brain Networks Mediating Stimulus-Pain Relationships in Humans. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:4204-4219. [PMID: 32219311 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain transforms nociceptive input into a complex pain experience comprised of sensory, affective, motivational, and cognitive components. However, it is still unclear how pain arises from nociceptive input and which brain networks coordinate to generate pain experiences. We introduce a new high-dimensional mediation analysis technique to estimate distributed, network-level patterns that formally mediate the relationship between stimulus intensity and pain. We applied the model to a large-scale analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data (N = 284), focusing on brain mediators of the relationship between noxious stimulus intensity and trial-to-trial variation in pain reports. We identify mediators in both traditional nociceptive pathways and in prefrontal, midbrain, striatal, and default-mode regions unrelated to nociception in standard analyses. The whole-brain mediators are specific for pain versus aversive sounds and are organized into five functional networks. Brain mediators predicted pain ratings better than previous brain measures, including the neurologic pain signature (Wager et al. 2013). Our results provide a broader view of the networks underlying pain experience, as well as novel brain targets for interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Geuter
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.,Vorwerk International & Co. KmG, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Mathieu Roy
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lauren Y Atlas
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,National Center on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Liane Schmidt
- Control-Interoception-Attention Team, Institute du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, INSERM UMR 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Anjali Krishnan
- Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Leonie Koban
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.,Control-Interoception-Attention Team, Institute du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, INSERM UMR 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.,Marketing Area, INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France
| | - Tor D Wager
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.,Presidential Cluster in Neuroscience and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Martin A Lindquist
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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47
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Hadamitzky M, Lückemann L, Pacheco-López G, Schedlowski M. Pavlovian Conditioning of Immunological and Neuroendocrine Functions. Physiol Rev 2020; 100:357-405. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00033.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The phenomenon of behaviorally conditioned immunological and neuroendocrine functions has been investigated for the past 100 yr. The observation that associative learning processes can modify peripheral immune functions was first reported and investigated by Ivan Petrovic Pavlov and his co-workers. Their work later fell into oblivion, also because so little was known about the immune system’s function and even less about the underlying mechanisms of how learning, a central nervous system activity, could affect peripheral immune responses. With the employment of a taste-avoidance paradigm in rats, this phenomenon was rediscovered 45 yr ago as one of the most fascinating examples of the reciprocal functional interaction between behavior, the brain, and peripheral immune functions, and it established psychoneuroimmunology as a new research field. Relying on growing knowledge about efferent and afferent communication pathways between the brain, neuroendocrine system, primary and secondary immune organs, and immunocompetent cells, experimental animal studies demonstrate that cellular and humoral immune and neuroendocrine functions can be modulated via associative learning protocols. These (from the classical perspective) learned immune responses are clinically relevant, since they affect the development and progression of immune-related diseases and, more importantly, are also inducible in humans. The increased knowledge about the neuropsychological machinery steering learning and memory processes together with recent insight into the mechanisms mediating placebo responses provide fascinating perspectives to exploit these learned immune and neuroendocrine responses as supportive therapies, the aim being to reduce the amount of medication required, diminishing unwanted drug side effects while maximizing the therapeutic effect for the patient’s benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Hadamitzky
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunobiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany; Health Sciences Department, Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM), Campus Lerma, Mexico; and Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laura Lückemann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunobiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany; Health Sciences Department, Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM), Campus Lerma, Mexico; and Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gustavo Pacheco-López
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunobiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany; Health Sciences Department, Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM), Campus Lerma, Mexico; and Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Manfred Schedlowski
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunobiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany; Health Sciences Department, Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM), Campus Lerma, Mexico; and Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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48
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Aichner S, Haile A, Hoffmann V, Olliges E, Tschöp MH, Meissner K. The Role of Tactile Stimulation for Expectation, Perceived Treatment Assignment and the Placebo Effect in an Experimental Nausea Paradigm. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1212. [PMID: 31798402 PMCID: PMC6863803 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Tactile stimulation during a placebo treatment could enhance its credibility and thereby boost positive treatment expectations and the placebo effect. This experimental study aimed to investigate the interplay between tactile stimulation, expectation, and treatment credibility for the placebo effect in nausea. Methods Ninety healthy participants were exposed to a 20-min vection stimulus on two separate days and were randomly allocated to one of three groups on the second day after the baseline period: Placebo transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) with tactile stimulation (n = 30), placebo TENS without tactile stimulation (n = 30), or no intervention (n = 30). Placebo TENS was performed for 20 min at a dummy acupuncture point on both forearms. Expected and perceived nausea severity and further symptoms of motion sickness were assessed at baseline and during the evaluation period. At the end of the experiment, participants in the placebo groups guessed whether they had received active or placebo treatment. Results Expected nausea decreased significantly more in the placebo groups as compared to the no treatment control group (interaction day × group, F = 6.60, p = 0.003, partial η2 = 0.20), with equal reductions in the two placebo groups (p = 1.0). Reduced expectation went along with a significant placebo effect on nausea (interaction day × group, F = 22.2, p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.35) with no difference between the two placebo groups (p = 1.0). Twenty-three out of 29 participants in the tactile placebo group (79%) but only 14 out of 30 participants (47%) in the non-tactile placebo group believed that they had received the active intervention (p = 0.015). Bang’s blinding index (BI) indicated random guessing in the non-tactile placebo group (BI = 0; 95% CI, −0.35 to 0.35) and non-random guessing in the direction of an “opposite guess” in the tactile placebo group (BI = −0.52; 95% CI, −0.81 to −0.22). Conclusion Tactile stimulation during placebo TENS did not further enhance positive treatment expectations and the placebo effect in nausea but increased the credibility of the intervention. Further trials should investigate the interaction between perceived treatment assignment, expectation, and the placebo effect during the course of a trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Aichner
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Anja Haile
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Verena Hoffmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Olliges
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Division of Health Promotion, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Coburg, Germany
| | - Matthias H Tschöp
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Munich, Germany.,Division of Metabolic Diseases, Department of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Karin Meissner
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Division of Health Promotion, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Coburg, Germany
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49
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Chen PHA, Cheong JH, Jolly E, Elhence H, Wager TD, Chang LJ. Socially transmitted placebo effects. Nat Hum Behav 2019; 3:1295-1305. [PMID: 31636406 PMCID: PMC7494051 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-019-0749-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Medical treatments typically occur in the context of a social interaction between healthcare providers and patients. Although decades of research have demonstrated that patients' expectations can dramatically affect treatment outcomes, less is known about the influence of providers' expectations. Here we systematically manipulated providers' expectations in a simulated clinical interaction involving administration of thermal pain and found that patients' subjective experiences of pain were directly modulated by providers' expectations of treatment success, as reflected in the patients' subjective ratings, skin conductance responses and facial expression behaviours. The belief manipulation also affected patients' perceptions of providers' empathy during the pain procedure and manifested as subtle changes in providers' facial expression behaviours during the clinical interaction. Importantly, these findings were replicated in two more independent samples. Together, our results provide evidence of a socially transmitted placebo effect, highlighting how healthcare providers' behaviour and cognitive mindsets can affect clinical interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pin-Hao A Chen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Jin Hyun Cheong
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Eshin Jolly
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Hirsh Elhence
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Tor D Wager
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Luke J Chang
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.
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50
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Wu GR, Wang X, Baeken C. Baseline functional connectivity may predict placebo responses to accelerated rTMS treatment in major depression. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 41:632-639. [PMID: 31633261 PMCID: PMC7267925 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Although in theory sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has no inherent therapeutic value, nonetheless, such placebo stimulations may have relevant therapeutic effects in clinically depressed patients. On the other hand, antidepressant responses to sham rTMS are quite heterogeneous across individuals and its neural underpinnings have not been explored yet. The current brain imaging study aims to detect baseline neural fingerprints resulting in clinically beneficial placebo rTMS treatment responses. We collected resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging data prior to a registered randomized clinical trial of accelerated placebo stimulation protocol in patients documented with treatment‐resistant depression (http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01832805). In addition to global brain connectivity and rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) seed‐based functional connectivity (FC), elastic‐net regression and cross‐validation procedures were used to identify baseline intrinsic brain connectivity biomarkers for sham‐rTMS responses. Placebo responses to accelerated sham rTMS were correlated with baseline global brain connectivity in the rACC/ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Concerning the rACC seed‐based FC analysis, the placebo response was associated positively with the precuneus/posterior cingulate (PCun/PCC) cortex and negatively with the middle frontal gyrus. Our findings provide first brain imaging evidence for placebo responses to sham stimulation being predictable from rACC rsFC profiles, especially in brain areas implicated in (re)appraisal and self‐focus processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Rong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaowan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chris Baeken
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Psychiatry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZBrussel), Brussels, Belgium.,Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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