346 - No Nocebo Effect - Helen Pilcher
Summary
Host David McRaney interviews neuroscientist Helen Pilcher about her book, "This Book May Cause Side Effects," which explores the nocebo effect. Pilcher discusses how negative expectations and beliefs can physically manifest symptoms, citing examples like anticipatory nausea in chemotherapy patients and historical cases of voodoo death. She emphasizes that while thoughts influence health, they cannot cure diseases like cancer, urging listeners to maintain trust in evidence-based medical treatments rather than relying on positive thinking alone.
Topics discussed
Lowe's Labor Day Savings Ad
Introduction: Helen Pilcher's Cancer Diagnosis and Hesitation
Early Research on the Nocebo Effect and Symptom Creation
Pilcher's Decision to Research Instead of Google Her Diagnosis
The Placebo Effect: Rituals, Expectations, and Clinical Trials
Sponsor Ads: Lowe's, Ashley, School of Thought, and Kitted
Defining Nocebo vs. Placebo and the Myth of Voodoo Death
Case Study: The Man Who Died of a Misdiagnosed Cancer
Nocebo Side Effects in Clinical Trials and Real Life
Conditioned Nausea in Chemotherapy Patients
Mesmer's Head and the Danger of Anti-Science Extremes
The Importance of Conventional Medical Treatment
The Beer Box Experiment and Alcohol-Free Hangovers
Functional Neurological Disorder: The Woman Who Couldn't Walk
Treating FND by Challenging Brain Predictions
Outro, Show Notes, and Social Media Links
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