The Brain’s Response to Placebo fMRI scans reveal that some brain regions normally activated when individuals report pain in response to shocks are deactivated when those individuals are given a placebo analgesic during the shock. These regions include the anterior cingulate cortex in the right medial view of the brain (a), and the insula and thalamus in the ventral view of the brain (b) (Wager et al., 2004).
COURTESY OF TOR WAGER