Psychosomatic medicine
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Psychosomatic medicine · Apr 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialSources of Placebo-Induced Relief From Nausea: The Role of Instruction and Conditioning.
It is well documented that expectancies alter the nauseous response. However, the lack of integration in research examining sources of expectancy has limited our understanding of how expectancies are formed and, consequently, our ability to intervene. The present study explored the role of both instructions and conditioning in placebo-induced relief from nausea. ⋯ These findings indicate that placebo responding in nausea can be induced both through positive instructions and as little as one pairing of a treatment with a reduction in nausea, as well as their combination. This suggests that using placebo effects to complement antiemetic therapy may offer an important method of further reducing nausea in the clinic.