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On Schleppfuss' path: the placebo response in human evolution
Andrés Bendesky1, Adam M Sonabend
1Facultad de Medicina and Department of Genomic Medicine and Environmental Toxicology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, P.O. BOX 70228, Ciudad Universitaria, México, DF 04510, México. bendesky@correo.unam.mx
Medical Hypotheses
|December 21, 2004
Summary
The placebo effect, driven by central nervous system (CNS)-body interactions, may have been a key evolutionary advantage. Enhanced placebo sensitivity, a heritable trait, likely offered individuals increased health and fertility, promoting species survival.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- The placebo effect is a recognized phenomenon influencing health, fertility, and lifespan.
- Central nervous system (CNS)-body interactions play a crucial role in physiological regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose that placebo response was evolutionarily significant for the human species.
- To explore the concept of placebo sensitivity as a selected biological trait.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis integrating evolutionary theory with neuroscience and psychology.
- Hypothesizing the selective pressures favoring individuals with enhanced placebo response.
Main Results:
- Individuals with heightened placebo sensitivity may have experienced evolutionary advantages (e.g., increased fertility, longevity).
- This enhanced CNS-body interaction/placebo sensitivity is proposed as a heritable trait selected over time.
Conclusions:
- Placebo response likely played a role in human evolution, conferring survival and reproductive benefits.
- Interindividual variations in placebo response can be attributed to genetic factors like polymorphisms and mutations.