Topical Concurrent Session 1A – Placebo and nocebo from the lab to the hospital: State of the field and implementing procedures to drive

Description

This session will be split into two parts. First, five early and mid-career researchers will briefly summarise the key findings from their specific research fields. Dr Kirsten Barnes will discuss what we have learned about placebo and nocebo effects in experimental settings, including her latest work with virtual reality. Lewis Crawford will outline the specific brain circuitry shown to be involved in placebo and nocebo responses from human imaging studies. Damien Boorman will consider the utility of preclinical models to help discover the neural mechanisms of placebo and nocebo effects as well as trial novel treatment approaches. Dr Natalia Egorova Brumley will explore how observational learning can influence an individual’s placebo and nocebo responses, and Dr Felicity Braithwaite will discuss ethical, evidence-based strategies to harness the benefits of placebo responses in clinical practice. The second part of this session will involve an interactive discussion with our panel members. Here, the audience will have the opportunity to experience a live placebo demonstration, and to participate in crafting patient-clinician interactions designed to maximise placebo and minimise nocebo. Please come ready to share your experiences and insights and help us shape the future of placebo and nocebo research!

Speakers:
Damien Boorman, University Of Sydney, NSW
Dr Kirsten Barnes, University Of Sydney, NSW
Lewis Crawford, University Of Sydney, NSW
Dr Natalia Egorova Brumley, University of Melbourne, VIC
Dr Felicity Braithwaite, University of South Australia, SA