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RCTs on Trial: How Placebo Effects Could Undermine Double-blind RCTs. Double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard for establishing treatment efficacy. However, there are both theoretical and empirical reasons to believe that they do not adequately control for the placebo effect. Cost and ethical considerations prevent researchers conducting actual double-blind RCTs with patients from exploring these issues. To address this gap, this project uses nove ....RCTs on Trial: How Placebo Effects Could Undermine Double-blind RCTs. Double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard for establishing treatment efficacy. However, there are both theoretical and empirical reasons to believe that they do not adequately control for the placebo effect. Cost and ethical considerations prevent researchers conducting actual double-blind RCTs with patients from exploring these issues. To address this gap, this project uses novel experimental models to systematically test key aspects of the double-blind RCT methodology that are intended to control for the placebo effect. The project aims to provide essential data on the validity of these trials, thereby improving Australia's health and ensuring that Government treatment subsidies are well spent.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100177
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
A flexible high throughput analytical system for psychopharmacology and drug discovery. A sensitive new liquid chromatography mass spectrometer will enable a team of leading researchers to detect drugs of abuse and therapeutic drugs in the brain and body as well as levels of hormones, peptides and neurotransmitters. This will enhance a large number of projects examining new treatments for addictive disorders and mental illness.
To focus on pain or not to focus: WHEN is the question. The experience of pain is a ubiquitous experience, and persistent pain is common and causes enormous personal and
societal burden. Anyone who has been in severe pain will understand that pain captures attention, but the role that attention plays in
increasing pain perception is poorly understood. This project will test a new conceptual model that calls for a change in the paradigm underlying research into attention and pain. We will use nov ....To focus on pain or not to focus: WHEN is the question. The experience of pain is a ubiquitous experience, and persistent pain is common and causes enormous personal and
societal burden. Anyone who has been in severe pain will understand that pain captures attention, but the role that attention plays in
increasing pain perception is poorly understood. This project will test a new conceptual model that calls for a change in the paradigm underlying research into attention and pain. We will use novel experimental tasks in virtual reality environments to address
these important gaps in our knowledge. The project will significantly advance our fundamental understanding of
the role of attention in pain perception and pave the way for translational research to reduce the substantial burden pain causes.Read moreRead less
Transformations in Human Visual Cortex - from Neural Input to Recognition. Human behaviour is dominated by the visual system. This project proposes to trace the M, P, K neural systems isolated through Red/Green, Blue/Yellow and luminance stimuli to investigate processing for percepts of and attention to colour, motion and form in neurotypical humans. Nonlinear magnetoencephalography (MEG) is intended to provide the temporal structure of the different neural streams that feed these percepts. MEG ....Transformations in Human Visual Cortex - from Neural Input to Recognition. Human behaviour is dominated by the visual system. This project proposes to trace the M, P, K neural systems isolated through Red/Green, Blue/Yellow and luminance stimuli to investigate processing for percepts of and attention to colour, motion and form in neurotypical humans. Nonlinear magnetoencephalography (MEG) is intended to provide the temporal structure of the different neural streams that feed these percepts. MEG based population receptive field analysis from virtual electrodes, will provide information about cortical feedback. A new theory of perception is expected to emerge, incorporating connections with contextual and top-down cognitive processes, furthering basic understanding.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100864
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$382,536.00
Summary
Something from nothing: how placebo effects are formed and maintained. This project seeks to develop and experimentally test a new model of placebo effects that will unpack how expectancy, control, and conditioning combine to produce placebo effects. The placebo effect is a fascinating and important psychological phenomenon whereby improvement occurs following a sham treatment. Despite considerable evidence for placebo effects across various health, sporting, and educational outcomes, exactly ho ....Something from nothing: how placebo effects are formed and maintained. This project seeks to develop and experimentally test a new model of placebo effects that will unpack how expectancy, control, and conditioning combine to produce placebo effects. The placebo effect is a fascinating and important psychological phenomenon whereby improvement occurs following a sham treatment. Despite considerable evidence for placebo effects across various health, sporting, and educational outcomes, exactly how these effects are formed and maintained remains unclear. Greater understanding of the placebo effect would enable us to accurately evaluate health, educational, and sporting interventions and would facilitate the development of interventions that harness the placebo effect to improve outcomes.Read moreRead less
Understanding psychological processes that inhibit the nocebo effect. The nocebo effect – when negative expectancies trigger adverse outcomes – causes enormous personal and societal harm. Although there have been advances in understanding some of the psychological processes underlying these effects, much less is known about how to inhibit them or the role that social learning plays in producing them. This project uses a new experimental model involving Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation to address ....Understanding psychological processes that inhibit the nocebo effect. The nocebo effect – when negative expectancies trigger adverse outcomes – causes enormous personal and societal harm. Although there have been advances in understanding some of the psychological processes underlying these effects, much less is known about how to inhibit them or the role that social learning plays in producing them. This project uses a new experimental model involving Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation to address these important gaps in our knowledge. The project will significantly advance our fundamental understanding of the nocebo effect and pave the way for translational research to reduce the substantial harm it causes.Read moreRead less
The nocebo effect: the dark side of placebos. This project aims to understand the nocebo effect - when negative information triggers adverse outcomes - and how to reduce it. Despite a wealth of evidence for the existence of nocebo effects across various settings, there are critical gaps in our current understanding of how these effects occur and whether we can reduce them. To address this, the current project develops and experimentally tests a new model of the nocebo effect that will uncover it ....The nocebo effect: the dark side of placebos. This project aims to understand the nocebo effect - when negative information triggers adverse outcomes - and how to reduce it. Despite a wealth of evidence for the existence of nocebo effects across various settings, there are critical gaps in our current understanding of how these effects occur and whether we can reduce them. To address this, the current project develops and experimentally tests a new model of the nocebo effect that will uncover its underlying mechanisms as well as strategies to inhibit it. The expected outcomes from this project can contribute to minimising the substantial individual and societal harm caused by the nocebo effect and associated health and economic costs.Read moreRead less