 |
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
Previous Article | Next Article
The Journal of Neuroscience, May 1, 1999, 19(9):3639-3648
Somatotopic Activation of Opioid Systems by Target-Directed Expectations of Analgesia
Fabrizio Benedetti, Claudia Arduino, and Martina Amanzio Department of Neuroscience and Center for the Neurophysiology of Pain, University of Torino Medical School, 10125 Torino, Italy
We induced specific expectations of analgesia on four different parts of the body to understand how endogenous opioid systems are activated by expectancies. The left hand, right hand, left foot, and right foot were simultaneously stimulated by means of a subcutaneous injection of capsaicin, which produces a painful burning sensation. Specific expectations of analgesia were induced by applying a placebo cream on one of these body parts and by telling the subjects that it was a powerful local anesthetic. In such a way, expectancy of the anesthetic effect was directed only toward the part on which the placebo cream was applied. We found that a placebo analgesic response occurred only on the treated part, whereas no variation in pain sensitivity was found on the untreated parts. If the same experiment was performed after an intravenous infusion of the opioid antagonist naloxone, this highly spatial-specific placebo response was totally abolished, indicating that it was completely mediated by endogenous opioid systems. These findings show that a spatially directed expectation of pain reduction is capable of inducing a specific effect only on the part of the body which is the target of the expectation. Most important, this specific effect is mediated by endogenous opioids, indicating that placebo-activated opioids do not act on the entire body but only on the part where expectancy is directed. This suggests that a highly organized and somatotopic network of endogenous opioids links expectation, attention, and body schema.
Key words: analgesia; pain; capsaicin; placebo; opioid systems; expectation; attention; body schema
Copyright © 1999 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/99/1993639-10$05.00/0
This article has been cited by other articles:
R. D. Lane, S. R. Waldstein, H. D. Critchley, S. W. G. Derbyshire, D. A. Drossman, T. D. Wager, N. Schneiderman, M. A. Chesney, J. R. Jennings, W. R. Lovallo, et al.
The Rebirth of Neuroscience in Psychosomatic Medicine, Part II: Clinical Applications and Implications for Research
Psychosom Med, February 1, 2009; 71(2): 135 - 151.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
A. White and M. Cummings
Does acupuncture relieve pain?
BMJ, January 27, 2009; 338(jan27_2): a2760 - a2760.
[Full Text]
U. Bingel and I. Tracey
Imaging CNS Modulation of Pain in Humans
Physiology, December 1, 2008; 23(6): 371 - 380.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
N. J. Diederich and C. G. Goetz
The placebo treatments in neurosciences: New insights from clinical and neuroimaging studies
Neurology, August 26, 2008; 71(9): 677 - 684.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
E. Dilli and D. W. Dodick
EXTRACEPHALIC CLUSTER (CLUSTER SINE HEADACHE)
Neurology, April 15, 2008; 70(16): 1362 - 1363.
[Full Text] [PDF]
S. Fulda and T. C. Wetter
Where dopamine meets opioids: a meta-analysis of the placebo effect in restless legs syndrome treatment studies
Brain, April 1, 2008; 131(4): 902 - 917.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
A. S. Quevedo and R. C. Coghill
Attentional Modulation of Spatial Integration of Pain: Evidence for Dynamic Spatial Tuning
J. Neurosci., October 24, 2007; 27(43): 11635 - 11640.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
T. D. Wager, D. J. Scott, and J.-K. Zubieta
Placebo effects on human {micro}-opioid activity during pain
PNAS, June 26, 2007; 104(26): 11056 - 11061.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
F. Benedetti, M. Amanzio, S. Vighetti, and G. Asteggiano
The Biochemical and Neuroendocrine Bases of the Hyperalgesic Nocebo Effect.
J. Neurosci., November 15, 2006; 26(46): 12014 - 12022.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
J. Kong, R. L. Gollub, I. S. Rosman, J. M. Webb, M. G. Vangel, I. Kirsch, and T. J. Kaptchuk
Brain Activity Associated with Expectancy-Enhanced Placebo Analgesia as Measured by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
J. Neurosci., January 11, 2006; 26(2): 381 - 388.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
F. Benedetti, H. S. Mayberg, T. D. Wager, C. S. Stohler, and J.-K. Zubieta
Neurobiological Mechanisms of the Placebo Effect
J. Neurosci., November 9, 2005; 25(45): 10390 - 10402.
[Full Text] [PDF]
T. Koyama, J. G. McHaffie, P. J. Laurienti, and R. C. Coghill
The subjective experience of pain: Where expectations become reality
PNAS, September 6, 2005; 102(36): 12950 - 12955.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
R. B. Fillingim and D. D. Price
What Is Controlled for in Placebo-Controlled Trials?
Mayo Clin. Proc., September 1, 2005; 80(9): 1119 - 1121.
[PDF]
T. D. Wager, J. K. Rilling, E. E. Smith, A. Sokolik, K. L. Casey, R. J. Davidson, S. M. Kosslyn, R. M. Rose, and J. D. Cohen
Placebo-Induced Changes in fMRI in the Anticipation and Experience of Pain
Science, February 20, 2004; 303(5661): 1162 - 1167.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
J. Walker and B. Sofaer
Randomised controlled trials in the evaluation of non-biomedical therapeutic interventions for pain: The gold standard?
Journal of Research in Nursing, September 1, 2003; 8(5): 317 - 329.
[Abstract] [PDF]
O. Johansen, J. Brox, and M. A. Flaten
Placebo and Nocebo Responses, Cortisol, and Circulating Beta-Endorphin
Psychosom Med, September 1, 2003; 65(5): 786 - 790.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
G. Chernyak and A. Fassoulaki
Tender Active Acupoint Is Not an Ideal Control for Acupressure Study * Response
Anesth. Analg., September 1, 2003; 97(3): 925 - 926.
[Full Text] [PDF]
F. Benedetti, A. Pollo, L. Lopiano, M. Lanotte, S. Vighetti, and I. Rainero
Conscious Expectation and Unconscious Conditioning in Analgesic, Motor, and Hormonal Placebo/Nocebo Responses
J. Neurosci., May 15, 2003; 23(10): 4315 - 4323.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
A K P Jones, B Kulkarni, and S W G Derbyshire
Pain mechanisms and their disorders: Imaging in clinical neuroscience
Br. Med. Bull., March 1, 2003; 65(1): 83 - 93.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
F. Benedetti
How the Doctor's Words Affect the Patient's Brain
Eval Health Prof, December 1, 2002; 25(4): 369 - 386.
[Abstract] [PDF]
R. de la Fuentefernandez and A. J. Stoessl
The Biochemical Bases for Reward: Implications for the Placebo Effect
Eval Health Prof, December 1, 2002; 25(4): 387 - 398.
[Abstract] [PDF]
O. Caspi and R. R. Bootzin
Evaluating How Placebos Produce Change: Logical and Causal Traps and Understanding Cognitive Explanatory Mechanisms
Eval Health Prof, December 1, 2002; 25(4): 436 - 464.
[Abstract] [PDF]
Y. Guan, R. Terayama, R. Dubner, and K. Ren
Plasticity in Excitatory Amino Acid Receptor-Mediated Descending Pain Modulation after Inflammation
J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., February 1, 2002; 300(2): 513 - 520.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
P. Petrovic, E. Kalso, K. M. Petersson, and M. Ingvar
Placebo and Opioid Analgesia-- Imaging a Shared Neuronal Network
Science, March 1, 2002; 295(5560): 1737 - 1740.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|