Expectation of negative effects can increase likelihood of
experiencing symptoms / Media needs to be more responsible when warning about
health risks
Media reports about substances that are supposedly hazardous
to health may cause suggestible people to develop symptoms of a disease even
though there is no objective reason for doing so. This is the conclusion of a
study of the phenomenon known as electromagnetic hypersensitivity. Those
affected report experiencing certain symptoms on exposure to electromagnetic
waves, such as those emitted by cell phones, and these take the form of
physical reactions. With the help of magnetic resonance imaging, it has been
demonstrated that the regions of the brain responsible for pain processing are
active in such cases. "Despite this, there is a considerable body of
evidence that electromagnetic hypersensitivity might actually be the result of
a so-called nocebo effect," explained Dr. Michael Witthöft of Johannes
Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). "The mere anticipation of possible
injury may actually trigger pain or disorders. This is the opposite of the
analgesic effects we know can be associated with exposure to placebos."
The new study illustrates how media reports about health risks may trigger or
amplify nocebo effects in some people.