The Science Daily website reports on some published research that suggests that there may be a genetic basis for placebo responses which would also explain who some people show a strong placebo response and others not so much. See:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720191147.htm Quoting from the article: |Placebos are thought to act by stimulating the brain's central |reward pathways by releasing a class of neurotransmitters |called monoamines, specifically dopamine and norepinephrine. |These are the brain chemicals that make us "feel good." Because |the chemical signaling done by monoamines is under strong |genetic control, the scientists reasoned that common genetic |variations between individuals - called genetic polymorphisms - |could influence the placebo response. And: |Leuchter noted that this is not the sole explanation for a response |to a placebo, which is likely to be caused by many factors, both |biological and psychosocial. "But the data suggests that individual |differences in response to placebo are significantly influenced by |individual genotypes," he said. NOTE: potential conflicts of interests are listed at the end of the article. -Mike Palij New York University [email protected] --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
