J Psychosoc Nurs Men
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J Psychosoc Nurs Men · Jun 2008
ReviewUnderstanding the placebo effect. Part 2: underlying psychological & neurobiological processes.
Placebo and nocebo effects are interesting and complex phenomena. In this article, I discuss some findings about the psychological and neurobiological processes that may underlie these effects on the basis of studies of pain, Parkinson's disease, and depression. ⋯ These brain circuits may represent a fundamentally important common underlying pathway that mediates placebo and nocebo effects in many conditions. Understanding these effects is important for designing clinical treatment studies and interpreting their results and is highly relevant for clinical practices.