Background:
Like other forms of medicine, including Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM),
homeopathy elicits expectations in patients. The physician–patient relationship, personal
and comprehensive treatment and lack of adverse effects are elements in creating positive
expectations. Other elements may be associated with negative expectations.
Methods:
We conducted a systematic literature review on placebo and nocebo effects in acupuncture
and homeopathy using Medline.
Results:
Findings on the psychophysiological and neuromediating mechanisms of the placebo–nocebo
phenomenon are reviewed. Studies of these effects reveal how expectations and unconscious
conditioning can be measured by imaging and EEG methods. They result in significant,
non-specific therapeutic effects, which may confuse the evaluation of the specific
therapeutic effects treatment, hampering selection of the simillimum.
Conclusions:
Directions for future research on non-specific therapeutic effects of homeopathy
to improve clinical practice and clinical research are discussed.
Keywords
Placebo - Nocebo - Specific effects - Non-specific effects - Expectation - Conditioning
- Imaging - qEEG - Homeopathy - Acupuncture
