Changing sickness symptom expectations: Effects on objective and subjective symptom dynamics in an experimental model of inflammation-induced sickness (A11)

• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 422744262

Project A11 has provided first evidence of expectation effects on inflammation-induced sickness symptoms. In the 2nd funding period, the project will investigate the effects of practitioner communication on dynamic changes in the expectation and experience of these symptoms using a design that also allows for the manipulation of the objective severity of the inflammatory state. In a second clinical proof-of-concept study, the project will investigate the effects of practitioner communication in patients receiving a herpes zoster vaccination, which has a high prevalence of vaccine-induced sickness symptoms (“side effects”).

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 289: Treatment Expectation - The impact of expectation on health outcome
• Applicant Institution: Universität Duisburg-Essen
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Sven Benson; Privatdozentin Dr. Hana Rohn, since 7/2024