1. SIPS LEIDEN
CONFERENCE

2. SIPS LEIDEN
CONFERENCE
LANGUAGE & PLACEBO
ROEL GAYMANS MD PhD

3. SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
PLACEBO CONCERT
SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
INSTRUMENTS :
LANGUAGE
EXPECTATION
CONDITIONING
CONTEXTUAL
RITUAL S
MEANING
COMPOSER : NATURE
ORCHESTRA: THE PATIENT
DIRECTOR : THE DOCTOR

4. SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
PLACEBO CONCERT
SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
* COMPOSER: NATURE
Walach:
the capacity to self-heal emerges from the placebo concept

5. SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
PLACEBO CONCERT
SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
*ORCHESTRA : THE PATIENT
`Beauregard:..evidence from neuroimagining studies
of emotional selfregulation in psychotherapy
and the placebo effect

6. SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
PLACEBO CONCERT
SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
* DIRECTOR THE DOCTOR
Benedetti:
…but certainly doctors, nurses, and health professionals
represent a very important component of the context, as
they can transmit a lot of information to the patient
through their words, attitudes, and behaviors.

7. SELF –HEALING SYMPHONY
PLACEBO CONCERT
SELF –HEALING SYMPHONY
* LANGUAGE
As prelude and recurrent theme
EXPECTATION
CONDITIONING
CONTEXTUAL
RITUALS
MEANING
Pollo: different verbal instructions produced
different outcomes and behaviour

8. SELF –HEALING SYMPHONY
PLACEBO CONCERT
SELF –HEALING SYMPHONY
* LANGUAGE
As prelude and recurrent theme
EXPECTATION
CONDITIONING
CONTEXTUAL
RITUALS
MEANING
Harrington:..Language as a medium for the exchange of information.
…language is embodied-not only physically but also symbolically,
Through the power of words to elicit profound emotional responses

9. SELF –HEALING SYMPHONY
PLACEBO CONCERT
SELF –HEALING SYMPHONY
ROLE of LANGUAGE - in
* EXPECTATION
CONDITIONING
CONTEXTUAL
RITUALS
MEANING
Wayne B.Jonas: the very words used when communicating about
treatment or pain can activate different parts of the brain.

10. SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
PLACEBO CONCERT
SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
LANGUAGE In
* CONDITIONING
CONTEXTUAL
RITUALS
MEANING
Karin Meissner:
verbal suggestions… may activate association networks in the brain
that store memories of the appropriate autonomic response

11. SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
PLACEBO CONCERT
SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
LANGUAGE and
* CONTEXTUAL HEALING
RITUALS
MEANING
Miller :..the environment of the clinical setting,
cognitive and affective communication of clinicians and the
ritual of administering the treatment.

12. SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
PLACEBO CONCERT
SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
LANGUAGE
and
* RITUALS
MEANING
Kaptchuk: Songs, chants, and narrative stuctures are
the base of the healing rituals

13. SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
PLACEBO CONCERT
SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
LANGUAGE
and
* MEANING
Moerman:
..a generic system of meaning.. initiated by the specific
red or blue pills that he doctor gives You..when to take it..
and to drink lots of water with it.

14. SO WHAT ? * Language influences Placebo behaviour at many levels.
** In scientific and clinical Doctor - Patient communication,
language deserves more detailed attention.
*** Language will become extremely influential in
future healthcare technological developments
like Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence.
SO WHAT ?

15. VIRTUAL EXPERIMENTER “Dr HALSEY”
Bjoern Horing, Nathan D. Newsome, Paul Enck, Sabarish V. Babu, and Eric R. Muth
BMC Medical Research Methodology July18, With permission

16. SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
PLACEBO CONCERT
SELF -HEALING SYMPHONY
INSTRUMENTS :
LANGUAGE
EXPECTATION
CONDITIONING
CONTEXTUAL
RITUAL S
MEANING
COMPOSER : NATURE
ORCHESTRA: THE PATIENT
DIRECTOR : THE DOCTOR