JOURNAL ARTICLE

New clues to how placebo effect works could lead to drug-free treatments for chronic pain.

  • Published In: Sciencemag.org, 2024. P. N.PAG 1 of 3

  • Database: Applied Science & Technology Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Jacobs, Phie 3 of 3

Abstract

A new study in mice has found that it is possible to harness the placebo effect for chronic pain, potentially leading to drug-free treatments. By activating specific neurons in the brain associated with pain relief, researchers were able to teach mice to associate a certain environment with a reduction in pain. Even after the neural stimulation was stopped, the mice continued to experience pain relief in that environment. This study suggests that drugs and placebos may share a common mechanism of action, which could guide our understanding of how placebos work in humans. However, more research is needed before these findings can be translated into strategies for helping humans. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Sciencemag.org. 2024/09, pN.PAG
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Health and Medicine
  • Publication Date:2024
  • Accession Number:179510546
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Sciencemag.org is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.