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 (shown in the top image, a right medial view of the brain) and the insula and thalamus (both shown in the bottom image, a ventral view of the brain; Wager et al., 2004).
COURTESY OF TOR WAGER