Pain Management and Placebo Effect

Can Hypnotic Susceptibility be Explained by Bifactor Models? Structural Equation Modeling of the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility - Form A

The paper uses structural equation modeling to analyze the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility - Form A, finding a bifactor model best explains the data, with a general factor and three correlated minor factors.

Cortical morphology predicts long-term placebo response in multiple sclerosis patients

The paper examines how cortical morphology correlates with long-term placebo responses in multiple sclerosis patients, finding that non-responders have a more small-world-like cortical topology and lesion load inversely predicts cortical thickness in specific brain regions.

Human ventromedial prefrontal cortex lesions enhance expectation-related pain modulation

This study examines how ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) lesions affect pain modulation by expectations, finding enhanced expectancy-related pain unpleasantness in lesioned individuals.

Cortico-brainstem mechanisms of biased perceptual decision-making in the context of pain

This study uses a drift-diffusion model and probabilistic cueing to show that the DLPFC contributes to decision bias in pain perception, with interactions involving the PAG.

Real Bodies Not Required? Placebo Analgesia and Pain Perception in Immersive Virtual and Augmented Reality

This study shows that a virtual placebo can induce analgesia comparable to a physical placebo, suggesting that physical interaction is not necessary for placebo effects in pain management.

Do we really understand the role of the prefrontal cortex in placebo analgesia?

This study investigates the role of the prefrontal cortex in placebo analgesia by comparing brain activity during high and low heat conditions with inert creams, finding reduced prefrontal activation despite lower pain ratings.

Molecular classification of the placebo effect in nausea

This study identifies plasma proteins associated with the placebo effect in nausea using proteomics and shows they predict placebo response.

Neural effects of placebo analgesia in fibromyalgia patients and healthy individuals

This study investigates placebo analgesia in fibromyalgia patients and healthy individuals, finding no differences in neural or behavioral responses despite opioid receptor antagonism.

Ultra-high field imaging reveals increased whole brain connectivity underpins cognitive strategies that attenuate pain

The paper shows that effective pain attenuation strategies are linked to increased whole brain functional connectivity and specific white matter integrity.

Placebo-induced pain reduction is associated with inverse network coupling at rest

This study shows that placebo-induced pain reduction is linked to inverse coupling between sensory-motor and salience networks during rest in humans.

Topology highlights mesoscopic functional equivalence between imagery and perception

The paper shows EEG evidence of topological equivalence between functional network organization during imagery and perception tasks, with variations in functional equivalence linked to cognitive effort and learning effects.

Boundary effects of expectation in human pain perception

The paper investigates how prediction error affects pain perception, finding that larger prediction errors reduce cue influence on perceived pain intensity.

I believe, therefore I am: Effects of self-control beliefs on behavioral and electrophysiological markers of inhibitory and emotional attention control

This study investigates how expectations about self-control, induced by a placebo/nocebo procedure, affect behavioral and electrophysiological markers of inhibitory and emotional attention control.

Sensitivity to Pain Expectations: A Bayesian Model of Individual Differences

This paper develops a Bayesian model of pain perception that accounts for individual differences in pain expectations, showing it better predicts pain ratings than simpler models.

The true size of placebo analgesia: Concordant neural and behavioural measures of placebo analgesia during experimental acute pain

This study compares neural and behavioral measures of placebo analgesia against a real analgesic to estimate the true size of the placebo effect in acute pain.

Brain and psychological determinants of placebo pill response in chronic pain patients

This study shows that placebo pill response in chronic pain patients depends on brain structure, functional connectivity, and psychological factors, with machine learning predicting response magnitude.

A comparison between the neural correlates of laser and electric pain stimulation and their modulation by expectation

This study compares how expectation modulates neural responses to laser and electric pain stimulation, finding similar modulation but differences in anticipatory correlates.