Interactions between brain and spinal cord mediate value effects in nocebo hyperalgesia

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 358; no. 6359; pp. 105 - 108
• Main Authors: Tinnermann, A., Geuter, S., Sprenger, C., Finsterbusch, J., Büchel, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association for the Advancement of Science 06.10.2017; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Adult; Brain; Brain stem; Brain Stem - physiology; Clinical trials; Cognitive ability; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions - psychology; Drugs; Female; Functional Neuroimaging; Humans; Hyperalgesia; Hyperalgesia - psychology; Labeling; Male; Medical research; Medical Services; Medical treatment; Neural networks; Neuroimaging; Nocebo Effect; Nocebos; Outcomes of Treatment; Pain; Pain Measurement; Pain perception; Pain Perception - drug effects; Pain Perception - physiology; Pharmaceutical Preparations - economics; Placebo effect; Placebos - adverse effects; Prefrontal cortex; Prefrontal Cortex - physiology; Side effects; Skin Cream - administration & dosage; Spinal cord; Spinal Cord - physiology; Young Adult

Value information about a drug, such as the price tag, can strongly affect its therapeutic effect. We discovered that value information influences adverse treatment outcomes in humans even in the absence of an active substance. Labeling an inert treatment as expensive medication led to stronger noce...