image: The power of expectations. Activity in the brain does not passively reflect incoming pain sensations, but rather a complex synthesis of that input, past experiences, and the effects of analgesic drugs or procedures, all of which are shaped by factors unique to the individual patient. Areas of the brain are indicated as pale gray ovals when not active, red and green when highly active, and pink when less highly active. ACC, anterior cingulated gyrus; DLPFC, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This image relates the Perspective by Gollub et al. that appeared in the Feb. 16, 2011, issue of Science Translational Medicine, published by AAAS. The study, by Dr. Ulrike Bingel of University of Oxford in Oxford, UK and colleagues, was titled, “The Effect of Treatment Expectation on Drug Efficacy: Imaging the Analgesic Benefit of the Opioid Remifentanil.” view more
Credit: Image: C. Bickel/<i>Science </i>© 2011 AAAS