Placebo treatment can alter primary visual cortex activity and connectivity.
Placebo treatment can alter brain activation in regions implicated in affective processing and cognitive control of emotions. This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigated whether a placebo can additionally modulate visual cortex activity and connectivity during affective picture perception. The participants underwent a retest design where they were presented with disgusting, fear-eliciting and neutral pictures both with, and without a placebo (inert pill presented with the suggestion that it can reduce disgust symptoms). The placebo provoked a strong decrease in experienced disgust. This was accompanied by a reduced activation of the primary visual cortex, which showed reduced interaction with the amygdala and the insula. Accordingly, placebos are able to affect basic perceptive processes.
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2/III, A-8010 Graz, Austria. Electronic address: anne.schienle@uni-graz.at.
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Schienle
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2/III, A-8010 Graz, Austria. Electronic address: sonja.uebel@uni-graz.at.
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Übel
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2/III, A-8010 Graz, Austria. Electronic address: wilfried.scharmueller@uni-graz.at.
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Scharmüller
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D015990:Placebo Effect; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
affective pictures; disgust; fMRI; functional connectivity; placebo