Psychosomatic Medicine Faster Service from Outside North America
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Figures Only
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Flaten, M. A.
Right arrow Articles by Olsen, H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Flaten, M. A.
Right arrow Articles by Olsen, H.
Related Collections
Right arrow Pain
Psychosomatic Medicine 61:250-255 (1999)
© 1999 American Psychosomatic Society

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Drug-Related Information Generates Placebo and Nocebo Responses That Modify the Drug Response

Magne Arve Flaten, Dr Psychol, Terje Simonsen, Cand Med and Harald Olsen, Dr Med

From the Department of Psychology (M.A.F.), University of Tromsø, and Department of Clinical Pharmacology (T.S.), Tromsø University Hospital, Tromsø, Norway; and Department of Psychiatry (H.O.), University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Address reprint requests to: Magne Arve Flaten, Prof Dr Psychol, Department of Psychology, SVT, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N. 7491 Trondheim, Norway. E-mail: magne.flaten{at}svt.ntnu.no

OBJECTIVE: Administration of the muscle relaxant carisoprodol and placebo was crossed with information that was agonistic or antagonistic to the effect of carisoprodol. It was investigated whether information alone induced physiological and psychological responses, and whether information modified the response to the drug.

METHODS: Half of the subjects received capsules containing 525 mg carisoprodol together with information that the drug acted in a specific way (Groups Relaxant/C, Stimulant/C, and No Information/C). The other half of the subjects received lactose (Groups Relaxant/L, Stimulant/L, and No Information/L). Dependent variables were blink reflexes and skin conductance responses, subjective measures of tension and sleepiness, and serum carisoprodol and meprobamate concentrations. Recordings were made between 15 and 130 minutes after administration of the capsules.

RESULTS: The Stimulant/L group reported more tension compared with the other two groups, and carisoprodol increased tension even more in the Stimulant/C group. The Relaxant/C group displayed higher levels of carisoprodol serum concentration compared with the other groups that received carisoprodol.

CONCLUSIONS: Reported tension was modulated in the direction suggested by the stimulant information. The effect of carisoprodol on tension was also modulated by stimulant information. Increased carisoprodol absorption in the group that received relaxant information could be a mechanism in the placebo response.

Key Words: placebo response, • nocebo, • blink reflex, • skin conductance response, • carisoprodol.

Abbreviations: ANOVA = analysis of variance;; EMG = electromyography;; SCR = skin conductance response;; kPa = kiloPascal;; VAS = visual analog scale.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Psychosom. Med.Home page
R. D. Lane, S. R. Waldstein, H. D. Critchley, S. W. G. Derbyshire, D. A. Drossman, T. D. Wager, N. Schneiderman, M. A. Chesney, J. R. Jennings, W. R. Lovallo, et al.
The Rebirth of Neuroscience in Psychosomatic Medicine, Part II: Clinical Applications and Implications for Research
Psychosom Med, February 1, 2009; 71(2): 135 - 151.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eval Health ProfHome page
J. Link, R. Haggard, K. Kelly, and D. Forrer
Placebo/Nocebo Symptom Reporting in a Sham Herbal Supplement Trial
Eval Health Prof, December 1, 2006; 29(4): 394 - 406.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Med. EthicsHome page
F Verdu and A Castello
Non-compliance: a side effect of drug information leaflets
J. Med. Ethics, December 1, 2004; 30(6): 608 - 609.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ANN INTERN MEDHome page
N. F. Col and S. G. Pauker
The Discrepancy between Observational Studies and Randomized Trials of Menopausal Hormone Therapy: Did Expectations Shape Experience?
Ann Intern Med, December 2, 2003; 139(11): 923 - 929.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Psychosom. Med.Home page
O. Johansen, J. Brox, and M. A. Flaten
Placebo and Nocebo Responses, Cortisol, and Circulating Beta-Endorphin
Psychosom Med, September 1, 2003; 65(5): 786 - 790.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurosci.Home page
F. Benedetti, A. Pollo, L. Lopiano, M. Lanotte, S. Vighetti, and I. Rainero
Conscious Expectation and Unconscious Conditioning in Analgesic, Motor, and Hormonal Placebo/Nocebo Responses
J. Neurosci., May 15, 2003; 23(10): 4315 - 4323.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Evid. Based Med.Home page
D. T Ko, P. R Hebert, H. M Krumholz, and A. C Swann
Review: {beta} blockers increase fatigue and sexual dysfunction but not depression after myocardial infarction * In response
Evid. Based Med., March 1, 2003; 8(2): 40 - 40.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ANN INTERN MEDHome page
T. J. Kaptchuk
The Placebo Effect in Alternative Medicine: Can the Performance of a Healing Ritual Have Clinical Significance?
Ann Intern Med, June 4, 2002; 136(11): 817 - 825.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 JAMAHome page
A. J. Barsky, R. Saintfort, M. P. Rogers, and J. F. Borus
Nonspecific Medication Side Effects and the Nocebo Phenomenon
JAMA, February 6, 2002; 287(5): 622 - 627.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1999 by the American Psychosomatic Society