Manipulating placebo analgesia and nocebo hyperalgesia by changing brain excitability.
Yiheng TuGeorgia WilsonJoan CamprodonDarin D DoughertyMark VangelFabrizio BenedettiTed J KaptchukRandy L GollubJian KongPublished in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2021)
Harnessing placebo and nocebo effects has significant implications for research and medical practice. Placebo analgesia and nocebo hyperalgesia, the most well-studied placebo and nocebo effects, are thought to initiate from the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and then trigger the brain's descending pain modulatory system and other pain regulation pathways. Combining repeated transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), an expectancy manipulation model, and functional MRI, we investigated the modulatory effects of anodal and cathodal tDCS at the right DLPFC on placebo analgesia and nocebo hyperalgesia using a randomized, double-blind and sham-controlled design. We found that compared with sham tDCS, active tDCS could 1) boost placebo and blunt nocebo effects and 2) modulate brain activity and connectivity associated with placebo analgesia and nocebo hyperalgesia. These results provide a basis for mechanistic manipulation of placebo and nocebo effects and may lead to improved clinical outcomes in medical practice.
Keyphrases
- transcranial direct current stimulation
- double blind
- neuropathic pain
- placebo controlled
- working memory
- pain management
- phase iii
- clinical trial
- healthcare
- primary care
- chronic pain
- white matter
- resting state
- ultrasound guided
- spinal cord
- postoperative pain
- magnetic resonance imaging
- functional connectivity
- multiple sclerosis
- contrast enhanced