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B6197 - L'EFFETTO PLACEBO E NOCEBO: MECCANISMI PSICONEUROBIOLOGICI / PSYCHONEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS IN PLACEBO AND NOCEBO EFFECTS

Academic Year 2025/2026

                
                        Docente:
                        Katia Mattarozzi
                    
                        Credits:
                        2
                    
                        SSD:
                        M-PSI/01
                    
                        Language:
                        Italian
                    
                        Teaching Mode:
                        Traditional lectures
                        
                            Campus:
                            Forli
                        
                            Corso:
                            Single cycle degree programme (LMCU) in
                            Medicine and Surgery (cod. 5709)

                                    Course Timetable
                                
from Oct 21, 2025 to Dec 09, 2025

Learning outcomes

• Understand the fundamental concepts underlying placebo and nocebo effects (i.e., placebo procedure; placebo effect/response; placebo mechanisms); and analyze the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms through which placebo and nocebo effects occur (i.e. individual learning, expectations, beliefs and characteristic, healthcare providers expectations, interpersonal and treatment characteristics, biological correlates). • Investigate the ethical considerations surrounding the use of placebo and nocebo in clinical practice and research. • Pursue innovative thinking and problem-solving skills through practical case studies and group projects and debates. • Foster critical analysis of placebo-controlled clinical trials and their implications for evidence-based medicine.

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

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives

Teaching tools

https://eduonplacebo.unibo.it/

Office hours

See the website of Katia Mattarozzi