Affiliations: Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie,
Venerologie und Allergologie, Universitätsklinikum Essen | Institut für Medizinische Psychologie und
Verhaltensimmunbiologie, Medizinische Fakultät der Universität
Duisburg-Essen
Note: [] Korrespondenzadresse: Dr. med. Elvir Cesko, Klinik und
Poliklinik für Dermatologie, Venerologie und Allergologie,
Universitätsklinikum Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45122 Essen. Tel.:
0201 723-4505; Fax: 0201 723-5948; E-Mail: Elvir.Cesko@uk-essen.de
Abstract: In biomedicine the placebo response or placebo effect has often been
regarded as a nuisance in basic research however and particularly in clinical
research. Latest scientific evidence has demonstrated, that the placebo effect
stem from highly active processes in the brain that are mediated by
psychological mechanisms such as expectation and conditioning. This review
summarizes experimental evidence demonstrating classical conditioned effects on
peripheral immune functions in humans and animals as part of the placebo response.
Keywords: Placebo response, classical conditioning, conditioning of the immune system, animal model/human model, clinical relvance
