{"id":687707,"date":"2025-08-28T22:10:20","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T19:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/placebo-pain-relief-works-differently-across-the-human-body-study-finds\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T22:10:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T19:10:20","slug":"placebo-pain-relief-works-differently-across-the-human-body-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/placebo-pain-relief-works-differently-across-the-human-body-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"Placebo pain relief works differently across the human body, study finds"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a223516608a9\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a223516608a9\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/placebo-pain-relief-works-differently-across-the-human-body-study-finds\/#How_placebo_pain_relief_works\" >How placebo pain relief works<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/placebo-pain-relief-works-differently-across-the-human-body-study-finds\/#A_new_way_to_target_pain_relief\" >A new way to target pain relief<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/placebo-pain-relief-wo.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/placebo-pain-relief-wo.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Somatotopic organization of analgesic brainstem circuitry. Placebo analgesia induced on the face, arm, and leg evoked somatotopically organized activity changes within the lateral PAG and RVM revealed through 7-T functional MRI. This analgesic circuitry organization suggests that stimulating discrete brain circuits can produce pain relief in specific parts of the body or face and provides a platform for targeted analgesic treatment development. ipsi, ipsilateral; MNI, Montreal Neurological Institute; VAS, visual analog scale. Credit: &lt;i&gt;Science&lt;\/i&gt; (2025). DOI: 10.1126\/science.adu8846\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/placebo-pain-relief-wo.jpg\" alt=\"Placebo pain relief works differently across human body, study finds\" title=\"Somatotopic organization of analgesic brainstem circuitry. Placebo analgesia induced on the face, arm, and leg evoked somatotopically organized activity changes within the lateral PAG and RVM revealed through 7-T functional MRI. This analgesic circuitry organization suggests that stimulating discrete brain circuits can produce pain relief in specific parts of the body or face and provides a platform for targeted analgesic treatment development. ipsi, ipsilateral; MNI, Montreal Neurological Institute; VAS, visual analog scale. Credit: Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126\/science.adu8846\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Somatotopic organization of analgesic brainstem circuitry. Placebo analgesia induced on the face, arm, and leg evoked somatotopically organized activity changes within the lateral PAG and RVM revealed through 7-T functional MRI. This analgesic circuitry organization suggests that stimulating discrete brain circuits can produce pain relief in specific parts of the body or face and provides a platform for targeted analgesic treatment development. ipsi, ipsilateral; MNI, Montreal Neurological Institute; VAS, visual analog scale. Credit: <i><a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science<\/a><\/i> (2025). DOI: 10.1126\/science.adu8846<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Researchers from the University of Sydney have used placebo pain relief to uncover a map-like system in the brainstem that controls pain differently depending on where it&#8217;s felt in the body. The findings may pave the way for safer, more targeted treatments for chronic pain that don&#8217;t rely on opioids.<\/p>\n<p>Like a highway, the brainstem connects the brain to the spinal cord and manages all signals going to and from the brain. It produces and releases nearly all the neurochemicals needed for thinking, survival and sensing.<\/p>\n<p>Published in <i>Science<\/i>, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.adu8846\" target=\"_blank\">the study<\/a> used 7-Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)\u2014one of the most powerful brain scanners available, with only two in Australia\u2014to pinpoint how two key brainstem regions manage pain through placebo effects.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Lewis Crawford, lead author and research fellow at the School of Medical Sciences and the Brain and Mind Center, said, &#8220;This is the first time we&#8217;ve seen such a precise and detailed pain map in the human brainstem, showing us that it tailors pain relief to the specific part of the body that&#8217;s experiencing it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The study builds on decades of work by one of the authors, Professor Kevin Keay, Deputy Head of the School of Medical Sciences and a mentor to Dr. Crawford.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_placebo_pain_relief_works\"><\/span>How placebo pain relief works<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Researchers exposed 93 healthy participants to heat pain on different body parts and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lied a placebo pain-relief cream while secretly lowering the temperature, conditioning them to believe the cream was alleviating their pain.<\/p>\n<p>The temperature used was individually adjusted to be moderately painful as perceived by each participant. Researchers used a self-report scale, where 0 was no pain and 100 was the worst pain imaginable, and sought a temperature between 40 and 50 for each participant.<\/p>\n<p>Later, the same pain stimulus was applied to the placebo-treated area as well as a separate untreated area for comparison. Up to 61% of participants still reported less pain in the area where the placebo cream was originally applied, typical of a true placebo response.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We found that upper parts of the brainstem were more active when relieving facial pain, while lower regions were engaged for arm or leg pain,&#8221; said Dr. Crawford.<\/p>\n<p>Two key brainstem regions are involved in this process: the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and the rostral ventro<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>l medulla (RVM). These areas showed distinct patterns of activity depending on where pain relief was directed, with the upper parts of the PAG and RVM more active for facial pain, while lower parts were more active for arm or leg pain.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The brain&#8217;s natural pain relief system is more nuanced than we thought,&#8221; said Dr. Crawford. &#8220;Essentially, it has a built-in system to control pain in specific areas. It&#8217;s not just turning pain off everywhere; but working in a highly coordinated, anatomically precise system.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_new_way_to_target_pain_relief\"><\/span>A new way to target pain relief<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Understanding which brainstem areas are linked to different parts of the body may open new avenues for developing non-invasive therapies that reduce pain without widespread side effects.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We now have a blueprint for how the brain controls pain in a spatially organized way,&#8221; said Professor Luke Henderson, senior author and Professor in the School of Medical Sciences and the Brain and Mind Center. &#8220;This could help us design more effective and personalized treatments, especially for people with chronic pain in a specific area of their body.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The study also challenges long-held assumptions about how placebo pain relief works. Instead of relying on the brain&#8217;s opioid system, experts say a different part of the brainstem\u2014the lateral PAG\u2014is not only responsible but works without using opioids and could instead be linked to cannabinoid activity.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Opioid-based pain relief typically activates central areas of the brain and can affect the whole body, whereas the cannabinoid circuit that we identified appears to operate in more targeted regions of the brainstem,&#8221; said Dr. Crawford. &#8220;This supports the idea that cannabinoids may play a role in localized, non-opioid pain control.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Knowing exactly where pain relief is happening in the brain means we can target that area or assess whether a drug is working in the right place,&#8221; said Dr. Crawford. &#8220;This could lead to more precise treatments for chronic pain that don&#8217;t rely on opioids and work exactly where the brain expects pain relief to occur\u2014a huge step forward for pain management.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-main__more p-4\">\n<p><strong>More information:<\/strong><br \/>\n                                                    Lewis S. Crawford et al, Somatotopic organization of brainstem analgesic circuitry, <i>Science<\/i> (2025). <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-doi=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1126\/science.adu8846\" target=\"_blank\">DOI: 10.1126\/science.adu8846<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium my-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUniversity of Sydney<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"http:\/\/www.usyd.edu.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/medx.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n                                                 <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                 Placebo pain relief works differently across the human body, study finds (2025, August 28)<br \/>\n                                                 retrieved 28 August 2025<br \/>\n                                                 from https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-08-placebo-pain-relief-differently-human.html\n                                            <\/p>\n<p>\n                                            This document is subject to copyright. 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Placebo analgesia induced on the face, arm, and leg evoked somatotopically organized activity changes within the lateral PAG and RVM revealed through 7-T functional MRI. This analgesic circuitry organization suggests that stimulating discrete brain circuits can produce pain relief in specific parts of the body or face and provides&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":687708,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/placebo-pain-relief-wo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-687707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687707","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=687707"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687707\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/687708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=687707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=687707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=687707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}