Evolution could explain part of the placebo effect
The placebo effect is an odd duck.
Sometimes beneficial, sometimes costly, it’s a head-scratcher of a biological mechanism when you think about it. Why would we evolve a way for our brains to overpower our biology? Why is it that simply performing an action (taking a sugar pill) can jump-start a complete immune response?
A decade ago, Nicholas Humphrey devised a theory that said that because immune responses are expensive, so it pays to require an extra kick to get them going. Peter Trimmer, of the University of Bristol, recently tested taht with a computer model:
“There is a simple explanation, says Trimmer: the immune system is costly to run - so costly that a strong and sustained response could dangerously drain an animal’s energy reserves. In other words, as long as the infection is not lethal, it pays to wait for a sign that fighting it will not endanger the animal in other ways.”
More details at New Scientist.
While you’re at it, review this great video on what the placebo effect means, and some examples of it at work.
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ohyeahdevelopmentalbiology: jtotheizzoe: Evolution could explain part of the placebo effect The...
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