Nocebo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In medicine, a nocebo (Latin for "I shall harm") is a harmless substance that creates harmful effects in a patient who takes it. The nocebo effect is the negative reaction experienced by a patient who receives a nocebo. Conversely, a placebo
is an inert substance that creates either a positive response or a
negative response in a patient who takes it. The phenomenon in which a
placebo creates a positive response in the patient to which it is
administered is called the placebo effect. The nocebo effect is less well-studied and well-known, by both scientists and the public, than the placebo effect.[1][2]
Both nocebo and placebo effects are entirely psychogenic. Rather than being caused by a biologically active
compound in the placebo itself, these reactions result from a patient's
expectations about how the substance will affect him or her. Though
they originate exclusively from psychological sources, nocebo effects
can be either psychological or physiological.
In medicine, a nocebo (Latin for "I shall harm") is a harmless substance that creates harmful effects in a patient who takes it. The nocebo effect is the negative reaction experienced by a patient who receives a nocebo. Conversely, a placebo
is an inert substance that creates either a positive response or a
negative response in a patient who takes it. The phenomenon in which a
placebo creates a positive response in the patient to which it is
administered is called the placebo effect. The nocebo effect is less well-studied and well-known, by both scientists and the public, than the placebo effect.[1][2]
Both nocebo and placebo effects are entirely psychogenic. Rather than being caused by a biologically active
compound in the placebo itself, these reactions result from a patient's
expectations about how the substance will affect him or her. Though
they originate exclusively from psychological sources, nocebo effects
can be either psychological or physiological.
