Center for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies Leiden

Placebo and nocebo effect have been shown to affect a wide range of physical symptoms: pain, itch, breathlessness.

At IPS, we are dedicated to advancing the understanding of the brain mechanisms behind the placebo and nocebo effect.

Expectancies have been shown to affect not only self-reported outcomes, such as pain and itch, but also physiological markers such as endocrine and immune responses.

Research is often done with adult volunteers. This is also true for research on how placebo and nocebo effects influence medical conditions and symptoms, and wellbeing.

Basic research generates a lot of knowledge on how placebo and nocebo effects work. At IPS we strive to translate this knowledge into feasible and easy to apply clinical applications and therapeutic interventions for people with chronic medical complaints or health conditions. 

The words and the behaviour of a healthcare professional can determine much of a treatment’s success.