To Experience or to Be Informed? Classical Conditioning Induces Nocebo Hyperalgesia even when Placebo Analgesia Is Verbally Suggested—Results of a Preliminary Study

Abstract

Objective

To investigate whether direct experience (i.e., classical conditioning) or verbal suggestion is more important in inducing nocebo hyperalgesia, five groups (total sample size, N = 99) were studied: conditioning, congruent conditioning, incongruent conditioning, verbal suggestion, and control.

Methods

Participants in groups with conditioning experienced more intensive pain stimuli after presentation of a white circle. In the congruent conditioning group, suggestion that the circle would precede more intensive pain stimuli was additionally provided, whereas in the incongruent conditioning group, the opposite suggestion was used. Control and verbal suggestion groups received pain stimuli of one intensity; however, the latter received suggestion that a circle would precede pain stimuli of higher intensity.

Results

The nocebo effect was observed in all conditioning groups, regardless of the verbal suggestions used. Moreover, the experience of hyperalgesia was able to nullify the effect of the verbal suggestion of analgesia. Incongruence between verbal suggestion and pain experience produced expectancies that affected nocebo hyperalgesia.

Conclusions

The results of this preliminary study suggest that direct experience seems to be more important than verbal suggestion in inducing nocebo hyperalgesia.

Classical Conditioning, Expectancy, Nocebo, Pain, Verbal Suggestion