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Shaping placebo analgesic responses on the Internet: a randomized experimental trial
Moa Pontén1, Brjánn Ljótsson1, Karin Jensen1
1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Pain Reports
|October 5, 2019
Summary
Placebo analgesia can be induced through online communication, demonstrating the potential of internet-based treatments. Communication style did not significantly alter the placebo pain-relief effect in this study.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Pain Management
- Digital Health
Background:
- Internet-based treatments are growing.
- Placebo effects in online settings are not well understood.
- Investigating online placebo induction is crucial for digital therapeutics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if placebo analgesia can be induced via online communication.
- To explore if empathetic versus neutral online communication styles influence placebo effects.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind experiment with 30 healthy participants randomized to empathetic or neutral online communication.
- A face-to-face placebo analgesia experiment using a sham device after online modules.
- Control experiment confirmed sham device alone did not induce placebo effects.
Main Results:
- A significant placebo effect was observed; participants reported lower pain with the sham device on.
- The empathetic communication group perceived the interaction more positively and showed higher compliance.
- No significant difference in placebo pain ratings was found between empathetic and neutral communication groups.
Conclusions:
- Placebo effects can be established through online information delivery about treatments.
- This research opens a new avenue for studying placebo effects in online therapeutic contexts.
- Findings support the potential for online interventions to leverage placebo mechanisms.
