The nocebo effect: How prior experience and verbal suggestion rewire the brain to make pain worse

MedicalXpress | mai 26, 2026

Researchers have a better understanding of the nocebo effect and the neuroscience behind it all. Opposite of the better-known placebo effect, where positive expectations trigger genuine pain relief, the nocebo effect is the experience from negative expectations, created by prior experience, verbal suggestion, or social observation, which can drive anxiety and make pain worse.