No study of any analgesic drug or
treatment is complete without accounting for the placebo effect. I think it’s kind
of amazing, though, how little we understand about the mechanisms and potential
practical applications of the placebo effect, given how often scientists utilize
it in studies of other therapeutics.
Recent research has come out, however, that sheds a little more light on
this neurolophysiological enigma.
The subset of the placebo effect
that provides analgesia through mu-opioid receptors has varied strength of
effect on different people. This month researchers at the University of
Michigan highlighted personalty traits that are positively or negatively correlated
with the strength of the mu-opioid placebo response. It turns out that personality effects appear
to account for 25% of the variance in placebo analgesic responses. Ego-Resiliency, altruism, and straightforwardness
were all positively correlated with placebo analgesic response. Anger and hostility, however, were negatively
correlated with placebo effect.
Unsurprisingly, opioid release in
the bran was positively correlated with analgesic affect, and cortisol tended
to lower during placebo administration.
So, if you want to maximize your own placebo analgesic effect, have strong ego resilience, be altruistic, and straightforward, don't be hostile or angry, and try to relax to lower your cortisol. And if you design a placebo-controlled trial analgesic trial, now you know that the personality traits of your subjects can effect the variability of your results.
so basically optimists vs pessimists?
ReplyDeleteIf that's the case then you should check out this study: 3 different groups: one group was geiven a pill that was siad to make them feel bad, a second group was given a pill that was said to make them feel bad or nothing at all, and the third was a control and was given a pill that was inactive...all three were palcebos and guess what the results were?
"Pessimists were more likely than optimists to follow a negative-placebo expectation when given a deceptive expectation, but not when given a conditional expectation."
So, I guess your study was more along the lines that more optimistic people had a postive correlation to "postive" palcebos such as painkillers when pessimists would react in contrast, however if it was a negative affect as in the study I mentioned the pessimists were more likely to show a postive correlation with the effect of the placebo that they indeed did feel worse after taking the pill.
reference:
Geers, A.L, Helfer, S.G., Kosbab, K., Weiland, P.E., Landry S. (2005).Reconsidering the role of personality in placebo effects: dispositional optimism, situational expectations, and the placebo response.J Psychosom Res. 58(2):121-7.
That's a good point to bring up. I always just assumed it was a basic "I think it's going to work" so it does kind of scenario. I wonder how attitudes toward healthcare, scientific background, sociability, and other factors play into the placebo affect.
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