Placebo Publications April 2021

Today we present 25 new placebo and nocebo research papers, comments and abstracts identified during April 2021. As usual, they are based on new PUBMED publication using the search terms „placebo“ and „nocebo“ and are hand-selected from more than 1446 new publications during the preceding month. Previously published monthly updates can be found in our archive. Todays selection as well as all previously identified papers will also go into our placebo research library that currently contains more than 4,500 relevant papers. If you would like to get access to the full database, please register for our newsletter and provide us with your email address and affiliation.

Benda, N., & Haenisch, B. (2020).
Enrichment designs using placebo nonresponders. Pharm Stat, 19(3), 303-314. doi:10.1002/pst.1992
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31899854

Bingel, U. (2020).
Placebo 2.0: the impact of expectations on analgesic treatment outcome. Pain, 161 Suppl 1, S48-S56. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001981
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33090739

Cheung, C. P., Thiyagarajah, M. T., Abraha, H. Y., Liu, C. S., Lanctot, K. L., Kiss, A. J., Saleem, M., Juda, A., Levitt, A. J., Schaffer, A., Cheung, A. H., & Sinyor, M. (2021).
The association between placebo arm inclusion and adverse event rates in antidepressant randomized controlled trials: An examination of the Nocebo Effect. J Affect Disord, 280(Pt A), 140-147. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.11.004
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33212405

Enck, P., & Klosterhalfen, S. (2021).
The Placebo and Nocebo Responses in Clinical Trials in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Front Pharmacol, 12, 641436. doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.641436
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33867990

Gallego-Sendarrubias, G. M., Voogt, L., Arias-Buria, J. L., Bialosky, J., & Fernandez-de-Las-Penas, C. (2021).
Can Patient Expectations Modulate the Short-Term Effects of Dry Needling on Sensitivity Outcomes in Patients with Mechanical Neck Pain? A Randomised Clinical Trial. Pain Med. doi:10.1093/pm/pnab134
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33830234

Speldewinde, G. C., & Panwar, C. E. (2021).
Patient expectancy does not predict success or failure of thermal neurotomy for persistent zygapophysial and sacroiliac joint pain. Pain Med. doi:10.1093/pm/pnab133
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33830246

Horing, B., Beadle, S. C., Inks, Z., Robb, A., Muth, E. R., & Babu, S. V. (2020).
A virtual experimenter does not increase placebo hypoalgesia when delivering an interactive expectancy manipulation. Sci Rep, 10(1), 20353. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-77453-9
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33230290

Ikemoto, T., Ueno, T., Arai, Y. C., Wakao, N., Hirasawa, A., Hayashi, K., & Deie, M. (2020).
Open-Label Placebo Trial among Japanese Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain. Pain Res Manag, 2020, 6636979. doi:10.1155/2020/6636979
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33425079

Kimball, A. B. (2020).
High placebo rates in clinical trials: Is the problem scoring systems or drug efficacy? J Am Acad Dermatol, 83(6), e431. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2020.07.040
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32682883

Laing, S., Bolt, D. L., Burgoyne, L. L., Fahy, C. J., Wake, P. B., & Cyna, A. M. (2021).
Invasive placebos in research on peripheral nerve blocks: a follow-up study. Reg Anesth Pain Med. doi:10.1136/rapm-2021-102474
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33837140

Lenaert, B., Bennett, M., Boddez, Y., & van Heugten, C. (2021).
The influence of nocebo information on fatigue and urge to stop: An experimental investigation. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry, 72, 101656. doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2021.101656
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33839619

Marquez Loza, A. M., Holroyd, K. B., Johnson, S. A., Pilgrim, D. M., & Amato, A. A. (2021).
Guillain- Barre Syndrome in the Placebo and Active Arms of a COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trial: Temporal Associations Do Not Imply Causality. Neurology. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000011881
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33824169

Okusogu, C., Wang, Y., Akintola, T., Haycock, N. R., Raghuraman, N., Greenspan, J. D., Phillips, J., Dorsey, S. G., Campbell, C. M., & Colloca, L. (2020).
Placebo hypoalgesia: racial differences. Pain, 161(8), 1872-1883. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001876
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32701846

Piedimonte, A., Barbiani, D., Benedetti, F., Zamfira, D. A., & Carlino, E. (2020).
The placebo effect in breath holding: a preliminary behavioral investigation. Neurosci Lett, 739, 135434. doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135434
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33091438

Schaefer, M., Hellmann-Regen, J., & Enge, S. (2021)
Effects of Open-Label Placebos on State Anxiety and Glucocorticoid Stress Responses. Brain Sci, 11(4). doi:10.3390/brainsci11040508
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33923694

Schienle, A. (2021).
Utilizing placebos to leverage the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy in patients with depression: Rebuttal to commentary. J Affect Disord, 284, 199-200. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2021.02.035
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33607510

Shi, Y., Wang, Y., Zeng, Y., Zhan, H., Huang, S., Cai, G., Yang, J., & Wu, W. (2021).
Personality differences in brain network mechanisms for placebo analgesia and nocebo hyperalgesia in experimental pain: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Ann Transl Med, 9(5), 371. doi:10.21037/atm-20-5123
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33842592

Singh, J. A., Kochhar, S., Wolff, J., WHO ACT-Accelerator Ethics & Governance Working Group (2021).
Placebo use and unblinding in COVID-19 vaccine trials: recommendations of a WHO Expert Working Group. Nat Med, 27(4), 569-570. doi:10.1038/s41591-021-01299-5
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33727699

Solle, A., Worm, M., Benedetti, F., Sabine Bartholomaus, T., Schwender-Groen, L., & Klinger, R. (2021).
Targeted use of placebo effects decreases experimental itch in atopic dermatitis patients: a randomized controlled trial. Clin Pharmacol Ther. doi:10.1002/cpt.2276
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33894061

Stalujanis, E., Neufeld, J., Glaus Stalder, M., Belardi, A., Tegethoff, M., & Meinlschmidt, G. (2021).
Induction of Efficacy Expectancies in an Ambulatory Smartphone-Based Digital Placebo Mental Health Intervention: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth, 9(2), e20329. doi:10.2196/20329
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33594991

Suhas, S., Sharma, N., Singh, G. P., Ray, S., & Andrade, C. (2021).
Utilizing placebos to leverage the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy in patients with depression: Looking below the surface. J Affect Disord, 281, 145-146. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.11.120
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33321379

Thomaidou, M. A., Peerdeman, K. J., Koppeschaar, M. I., Evers, A. W. M., & Veldhuijzen, D. S. (2021).
How Negative Experience Influences the Brain: A Comprehensive Review of the Neurobiological Underpinnings of Nocebo Hyperalgesia. Front Neurosci, 15, 652552. doi:10.3389/fnins.2021.652552
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33841092

Tselios, K., Wakani, L., Gladman, D. D., Su, J., & Urowitz, M. B. (2021).
Response to placebo in non-renal, non-neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus: a systematic review and pooled analysis. Rheumatology, 60(1), 73-80. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keaa655
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33140092

Webster, R. K., & Rubin, G. J. (2021).
Predicting Expectations of Side-Effects for Those Which Are Warned Versus Not Warned About in Patient Information Leaflets. Ann Behav Med. doi:10.1093/abm/kaab015
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33821932

Wiesing, U., & Ehni, H. J. (2021).
Placebo control in Covid-19 trials: A missed opportunity for international guidance. Indian J Med Ethics, VI(2), 1-7. doi:10.20529/IJME.2021.022
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33908353

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