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B6190 - Effetti Placebo e Nocebo: dai meccanismi psico-neurobiologici agli outcomes clinici

Academic Year 2026/2027

                
                        Docente:
                        Katia Mattarozzi
                    
                        Credits:
                        2
                    
                        SSD:
                        PSIC-01/A
                    
                        Language:
                        Italian
                    
                        Teaching Mode:
                        In-person learning (entirely or partially)
                        
                            Campus:
                            Ravenna
                        
                            Corso:
                            First cycle degree programme (L) in
                            Nursing (cod. 5908)

                                    Course Timetable
                                
from Oct 20, 2026 to Dec 01, 2026

Learning outcomes

Understanding the Psychosocial Context and Developing Communication and Relational Competencies: This course will enable students to recognise the impact of psychosocial and contextual factors on treatment effectiveness and clinical outcomes by exploring the psychoneurobiological, communicative, relational, and ethical mechanisms underlying placebo and nocebo effects. As placebo and nocebo effects represent one of the strongest bodies of scientific evidence demonstrating the influence of communication and the therapeutic relationship on health outcomes, they provide the scientific framework for this educational component. Through an experiential module specifically dedicated to communication and the patient–provider relationship, students will further develop their interpersonal and communication skills. The module is designed to consolidate competencies acquired during the first year before clinical placements and to foster their progressive development throughout the programme, promoting a more mature, reflective, and patient-centred professional approach. Strengthening these competencies will support more effective interactions with patients, enhance therapeutic relationships, and contribute to higher-quality care, in line with the needs identified through consultation with external stakeholders.

Course contents

1. History and concepts

2. Assessment of placebo/nocebo effects

3. Placebo/nocebo mechanisms

4. Application of placebos

5. Optimizing placebo effects

6. Minimizing nocebo effects

7. Open- vs. deceptive placebos

8. Ethics and critical evaluation

Readings/Bibliography

https://eduonplacebo.unibo.it/

Teaching methods

Frontal Lecture

Role Playing

Debate

Group exercises aimed at deepening and facilitating learnings on the role of expectations on clinical outcomes

Rewriting treatment information sheets

Assessment methods

Group Activities Results and Discussion

Office hours

See the website of Katia Mattarozzi