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Placebo and nocebo in the treatment of migraine: How much does real world effectiveness depend on contextual effects?

  • Hauke Basedau
  • , Raffaele Ornello
  • , Eleonora De Matteis
  • , Bolortsetseg Davaasuren
  • , Begimai Kadyrova
  • , Doga Vuralli
  • , Myroslav Bozhenko
  • , Ilaha Azizova
  • , Natia Bitsadze
  • , Elnura Eralieva
  • , Messoud Ashina
  • , Dimos Mitsikostas
  • , Francesca Puledda*
  • *Corresponding author for this work
  • Universitatsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf und Medizinische Fakultat
  • University of l'Aquila
  • State Special Servant Hospital of Mongolia
  • University of Kyrgyzstan
  • Gazi Universitesi
  • Danylo Halytsky Lviv State Medical University
  • Neurological Clinic “New Medical Technologies”
  • Caucasus Medical Centre
  • Osh City Clinical Hospital
  • Rigshospitalet
  • 1st Department of Psychiatry, Athens University Medical School, Eginition Hospital, Athens, Greece.
  • King's College London

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

19 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Purpose: Treatments in medicine impact individuals beyond their intended effects, due to phenomena such as the placebo and nocebo effects. The placebo effect arises from the positive expectation of a treatment being beneficial, while the nocebo effect stems from the negative expectation of a treatment causing harm. Both in real-world practice and clinical trials, treatments can lead to outcomes unrelated to their intended mechanism of action, which we categorize as placebo and nocebo responses. These responses, combined with the inherent fluctuation in a condition's natural progression, regression to the mean, and random comorbidities, make up a significant part of the therapeutic experience. Particularly in pain management, placebo and nocebo effects play a substantial role. By addressing modifiable contextual factors such as patient expectations, lifestyle choices, and the therapeutic relationship, healthcare providers can enhance the effectiveness of migraine treatments, paving the way for a more comprehensive, individualized approach to patient care. We must also consider non-modifiable factors like personal experiences, beliefs, and information from social media and the internet. Conclusion: This review offers a summary of our current understanding of the placebo and nocebo effects in migraine management.

Original languageEnglish
JournalCephalalgia
Volume43
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2023

Keywords

  • contextual effects
  • headache
  • Migraine
  • nocebo
  • placebo

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