How does the cerebellum contribute to placebo hypoalgesia and nocebo hyperalgesia? (A17*)

• Subject Area: Human Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 422744262

Project A17 N (Timmann) will perform one study in healthy volunteers and one in patients with cerebellar degeneration using 7T MRI, which is optimal for imaging the cerebellum and its connections. This unique approach will elucidate how cerebellar input and output interact with (i) frontostriatal circuits and (ii) descending modulatory pathways including the PAG, and how dysfunction in these circuits impairs the initiation and effects of positive and negative treatment expectation. The project will also analyze EEG activity to identify oscillatory activity associated with the formation and violation of analgesic and hyperalgesic predictions.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 289: Treatment Expectation - The impact of expectation on health outcome
• Applicant Institution: Universität Duisburg-Essen
• Project Head: Professorin Dr. Dagmar Timmann-Braun