Abstract
Abstract In this theoretical overview will be reconsidered basic mechanisms of placebo effect with a purpose to examine a hypothesis that the generally accepted psycho-physiological mechanisms of the placebo effect that explain many clinical and experimental data are related to search activity. Search related activity in general is a behavioral attitude that is capable to restore mental and physical health in different conditions that may explain basic mechanisms of placebo effect.
Highlights
In this article will be reconsidered basic mechanisms of placebo effect and will be suggested that many contradictions in this domain may be solved by using search activity concept presented in previous published studies
Panic behavior differs from search activity by the absence of the feedback between the activity and its regulation based on the outcome of activity – during panic behavior when the results of the activity are not considered in order to be used for the correction of behavior
At the same time those patients, who were absolutely sure and without any doubts that they always receive levodopa, had negative values for placebo-induced DA release contrary to the expected theoretical effects of medication. This result seems to be in agreement with the role of search activity in placebo effect, because a condition for search activity is the indefinite forecast, i.e. a probability forecast, the 100% definite forecast decreases search activity as a process – the subject’s personal responsibility, attention to what is going on, a readiness to the new conditions and events is displaced by the lack of responsibility, by the passive relaxed waiting for the positive outcome
Summary
In this article will be reconsidered basic mechanisms of placebo effect and will be suggested that many contradictions in this domain may be solved by using search activity concept presented in previous published studies (for example see Rotenberg, 2009, 2012) By search activity it is understood any behavioral or mental activity designed to change the environment and situation or the subject’s attitude to it in the absence of a definite forecast of the results of such activity (i.e. in the case of pragmatic indefiniteness), with constant monitoring of the results of such activity. In wakefulness search activity is based on the combination of activating (acetylcholine and dopamine (DA) dependent) and selective inhibitory (norepinephrine and serotonin dependent) influences on cortical neurons This combination determines the regulation of behavior, its goal direction, its relevance to actual tasks. I will try to show that the present data of the scientific investigations of the placebo mechanisms correspond to the above mentioned mechanisms of search activity and that placebo stimulates this activity and exactly for this reason placebo treatment is successful
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