Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2005 11:54:58 -0400
From: William Moss (wmoss108@gwi.net0
To: scienceandspirit@sriaurobindocenter-la.com
Subject: Placebo study

This
from today's news — I've always felt that the "Placebo Effect" would be
a fruitful venue for study of body-mind-spirit interaction. - will moss

Study: Placebos Make People Feel Better
Wed Aug 24, 6:53 AM ET

ANN
ARBOR, Mich. - Patients will feel better if they believe they're taking
painkillers even if their doses contain no medication, according to a
University of Michigan study.

The study, examining the placebo
effect, shows that the brain releases chemicals that relieve pain in
patients who believe they're being treated.

It is to be published Wednesday in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Researchers say the findings could lead to new ways to treat chronic pain.

"This
deals another serious blow to the idea that the placebo effect is a
purely psychological, with no physical basis," said Dr. Jon-Kar
Zubieta, associate professor of psychiatry and radiology at the
Michigan Medical School. "The mind-body connection is quite clear."

While
previous studies at Michigan and elsewhere have shown how the brain
reacts physically to placebos, researchers said this study is the first
to pinpoint a specific brain chemistry mechanism.

The study
involved 14 healthy men, ages 20 to 30, who were given a salt water
injection that caused pain to their jaw. They were then injected with a
placebo and told it was a painkiller.

Researchers asked the men questions and monitored their brain activity during the process.

For
each of the men, their brains released more natural painkilling
endorphins after the placebos were administered. Nine were classified as
high placebo responders, while five were classified as low responders.

The scientists say further research is needed to determine if the results hold up in women and people with various illnesses.

The
research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and completed
by researchers at Michigan's Molecular and Behavioral Neurosciences
Institute.
___

On the Net:

University of Michigan Medical School: http://www.med.umich.edu/medschool

University of Michigan Molecular and Behavioral Neurosciences Institute: http://www.mbni.med.umich.edu

Wed Sep 07, 12:33:54 AM