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Mapping expectancy-based appetitive placebo effects onto the brain in women

Author

Listed:
  • Iraj Khalid

    (INSERM, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière)

  • Belina Rodrigues

    (INSERM, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière)

  • Hippolyte Dreyfus

    (INSERM, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière)

  • Solène Frileux

    (INSERM, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière)

  • Karin Meissner

    (Medical Faculty, LMU Munich
    Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences and Health, Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts)

  • Philippe Fossati

    (INSERM, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière
    APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière)

  • Todd Anthony Hare

    (University of Zürich)

  • Liane Schmidt

    (INSERM, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière)

Abstract

Suggestions about hunger can generate placebo effects on hunger experiences. But, the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms are unknown. Here, we show in 255 women that hunger expectancies, induced by suggestion-based placebo interventions, determine hunger sensations and economic food choices. Functional magnetic resonance imaging in a subgroup (n = 57/255) provides evidence that the strength of expecting the placebo to decrease hunger moderates medial prefrontal cortex activation at the time of food choice and attenuates ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) responses to food value. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation linked to interference resolution formally mediates the suggestion-based placebo effects on hunger. A drift-diffusion model characterizes this effect by showing that the hunger suggestions bias participants’ food choices and how much they weigh tastiness against the healthiness of food, which further moderates vmPFC–dlPFC psychophysiological interactions when participants expect decreased hunger. Thus, suggestion-induced beliefs about hunger shape hunger addressing economic choices through cognitive regulation of value computation within the prefrontal cortex.

Suggested Citation

  • Iraj Khalid & Belina Rodrigues & Hippolyte Dreyfus & Solène Frileux & Karin Meissner & Philippe Fossati & Todd Anthony Hare & Liane Schmidt, 2024. "Mapping expectancy-based appetitive placebo effects onto the brain in women," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-44569-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44569-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Leonie Koban & Sangil Lee & Daniela Schelski & Marie-Christine Simon & Caryn Lerman & Bernd Weber & Joseph Kable & Hilke Plassmann, 2023. "An fMRI-based brain marker of individual differences in delay discounting," Post-Print hal-03957745, HAL.
    2. Marion Rouault & Jan Drugowitsch & Etienne Koechlin, 2019. "Prefrontal mechanisms combining rewards and beliefs in human decision-making," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-16, December.
    3. Silvia U. Maier & Anjali Raja Beharelle & Rafael Polanía & Christian C. Ruff & Todd A. Hare, 2020. "Dissociable mechanisms govern when and how strongly reward attributes affect decisions," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 4(9), pages 949-963, September.
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    5. Nicolette J. Sullivan & Scott A. Huettel, 2021. "Healthful choices depend on the latency and rate of information accumulation," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(12), pages 1698-1706, December.
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