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PSYCHOLOGY

Subtle cues transmit placebo effects

Nature Human Behaviour volume 3, pages 1246–1247 (2019)Cite this article

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We have known for a while that different doctors can produce different effects using the same substance, or even placebo, such that otherwise effective treatments might become ineffective or placebo becomes effective. Chang and colleagues now clarify that such differential effects are likely transmitted by subtle facial cues, using a placebo–pain model.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Poznan Medical University, Dept. Pediatric Gastroenterology, Poznan, Poland

    Harald Walach

  2. University Witten-Herdecke, Dept. Psychology, Witten, Germany

    Harald Walach

  3. Change Health Science Institute, Berlin, Germany

    Harald Walach

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  1. Harald Walach
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Correspondence to Harald Walach.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Walach, H. Subtle cues transmit placebo effects. Nat Hum Behav 3, 1246–1247 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-019-0745-9

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