Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36517733›Full record

ReviewCognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience2023

Targeting neural correlates of placebo effects.

S M Romanella, L Mencarelli, M J Burke, S Rossi, T J Kaptchuk, E Santarnecchi

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Effects of prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation on open-label placebo responses.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

S M RomanellaPrecision Neuroscience and Neuromodulation Program, Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. sromanella@mgh.harvard.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-7202-5421
L MencarelliSiena Brain Investigation and Neuromodulation Lab (Si-BIN Lab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology Section, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
M J BurkeDepartment of Psychiatry and Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
S RossiSiena Brain Investigation and Neuromodulation Lab (Si-BIN Lab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology Section, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
T J KaptchukProgram in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
E SantarnecchiPrecision Neuroscience and Neuromodulation Program, Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. esantarnecchi@mgh.harvard.edu.

Funding

Gamma Induction for Amyloid Clearance in Alzheimer’s DiseaseR01AG060981 · NIA · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI SANTARNECCHI, EMILIANO · 2019 to 2023
$3.5M
NIA NIH HHS R01 AG060981
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Harnessing the placebo effects would prompt critical ramifications for research and clinical practice. Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and multifocal transcranial electric stimulation, could manipulate the placebo response by modulating the activity and excitability of its neural correlates. To identify potential stimulation targets, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate placebo-associated regions in healthy volunteers, including studies with emotional components and painful stimuli. Using biophysical modeling, we identified NIBS solutions to manipulate placebo effects by targeting either a single key region or multiple connected areas. Moving to a network-oriented approach, we then ran a quantitative network mapping analysis on the functional connectivity profile of clusters emerging from the meta-analysis. As a result, we suggest a multielectrode optimized montage engaging the connectivity patterns of placebo-associated functional brain networks. These NIBS solutions hope to provide a starting point to actively control, modulate or enhance placebo effects in future clinical studies and cognitive enhancement studies.

Indexed as

Placebo EffectTranscranial Direct Current StimulationBrainBrain MappingEmotionsHumansTranscranial Magnetic StimulationALE mapsFunctional connectivityNetworksNoninvasive brain stimulationPlacebo effects

Identifiers

PMID36517733

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.