Previous projects
The first triennial funding period from 2011 to 2013 entitled “Expectation and conditioning as basic processes of the placebo and nocebo response – From neurobiology to clinical applications” has been completed successfully.
The overall aims of this first funding period were the elucidation of pathways involved in the action of placebo and nocebo mechanisms, on both the neurobiological and psychological level across different physiological systems and diseases, and gaining knowledge for everyday clinical practice. Chronic pain in healthy subjects and in chronic pain patients, patients with Parkinson´s Disease, gastrointestinal functions and disorders, and patients before and after heart surgery have been investigated during this phase.
The cooperation between basic and application-oriented research has been very effective. During the next funding period this successful collaboration will be improved, intensified, and findings will be transferred into clinical practice (here you find the current projects of the DFG research unit).
The following table gives you an overview of the previous projects of the DFG research group.
| Project | Project Leader | PhD Students |
|---|---|---|
Subproject 1 The impact of expectation and conditioning on drug efficacy: An fMRI study using “open/hidden” drug paradigms of analgesia | Prof. Dr. U. Bingel, Department of Neurology, Hamburg Eppendorf |
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Subproject 2 Placebo effects on the immune response: Time kinetics and clinical feasibility of the behavioral conditioned immunosuppression in humans | Prof. Dr. Manfred Schedlowski Dept. of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunobiology Duisburg-Essen Prof. Dr. Oliver Witzke & Prof. Dr. Andreas Kribben Department of Nephrology, Duisburg-Essen | Dipl.-Biol. Antje Albring Dipl.-Psych. Sabine Vits M.Sc. Laura Wendt |
Subproject 3 Mechanisms of placebo anxiolysis | Dr. Rafael Kalisch & Prof. Dr. Christian Büchel Dept. of Systems Neuroscience University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf | Dipl.-Biol. Benjamin Meyer |
Subproject 4 The role of serotonin in visceral and somatic placebo analgesia | Prof. Dr. Paul Enck, Dr. Sibylle Klosterhalfen & Prof. Dr. Stephan Zipfel Dept. of Psychosomatic Medicine, University of Tübingen | Dipl.-Psych. Björn Horing Dipl.-Psych. Katja Weimer |
Subproject 5 Placebo modulation of visceral pain processing: Behavioural and neural responses in healthy males and females and patients with chronic abdominal pain | Prof. Dr. Sigrid Elsenbruch Dept. of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunobiology, Duisburg-Essen Prof. Dr. Elke Gizewski Dept. of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Gießen Prof. Dr. Michael Forsting Dept. of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Duisburg-Essen | Dipl.-Psych. Julia Schmid |
Subproject 6 Psychobiological mechanisms of placebo and nocebo effects in the treatment of chronic back pain patients | Prof. Dr. Herta Flor Dept. of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, ZI Mannheim Regine Klinger Dept. of Psychology, Hamburg | Dipl.-Psych. Maike Müller Dipl.-Psych. Julia Schmitz |
| Subproject 7 Motor and cognitive placebo responses in Parkinson´s disease patients with subthalamic deep brain stimulation
| Prof. Dr. Alfons Schnitzler Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Düsseldorf Dr. Lars Wojtecki Center for Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation, Neurological Clinic, Düsseldorf | Dipl.-Psych. Ariane Keitel |
Subproject 8 Clinical applications of placebo research: Optimizing expectation effects in cardiac surgery patients | Prof. Dr. Winfried Rief Dept. of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Marburg Prof. Dr. Rainer Moosdorf Heart Center Marburg | Mag. rer. nat. Johannes Laferton Dipl.-Psych. Charlotte Auer |
Subproject 9 - intended in 2012 Side effect prevention training for nocebo effects | Dr. Yvonne Nestoriuc & Prof. Dr. Winfried Rief Dept. of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Marburg Prof. Dr. Ute S. Albert Dept. of Gynaecology, Gynaecological Endocrinology und Oncology | Dipl.-Psych. Pia von Blanckenburg Dipl.-Psych. Frankziska Schuricht Dipl.-Psych. Sarah Heisig |
Subproject z Central Tasks of all Subprojects of the DFG Research Unit | Prof. Dr. Winfried Rief Dept. of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Marburg | Dr. Bettina Doering |
