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According to scientists from Oxford, Cambridge and two German universities, positive thoughts can double a painkiller's effect while negative thoughts can cancel them out, which may prove that pain actually is all in the mind. The research is published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
In the study, 22 volunteers had a pain device put on their skin that was too hot for comfort. Each then had an intravenous line attached to deliver a painkiller. They were asked to rate the pain before any painkiller was introduced. The average score was 66.
Then the researchers started providing the painkiller, without telling the volunteers they had done so. The average score dropped to 55. But when the scientists told them they had started administering the painkiller the score dropped again to 39. When they said they had stopped providing the painkiller, the score rose to 64 - even though the opiate was still flowing.
At the same time the volunteers' brain activity was monitored using MRI scans. These showed their brains' pain networks were more active when they thought the drug was not being administered. Professor Irene Tracey of Oxford University, who led the research, said: "Doctors shouldn't underestimate the significant influence that patients' negative expectations can have on outcome."
参考译文：
英国牛津大学、剑桥大学以及两所德国大学的科学家近日宣称，病人情绪积极向上能够让止痛药的效果加倍，而消极低沉则会让止痛药毫无作用，从而很可能证明了一种看法，即：疼痛乃心理作用。研究论文已被刊登在了医学杂志《Science Translational medicine》上面。
研究中，22名受试者均被安装了疼痛装置，使得他们的皮肤产生灼痛感。随后每人都被插入静脉注射管以输入止痛药。在药物输入之前，研究人员调查他们的疼痛程度，得到的疼痛平均指数为66。
接下来研究人员在不告知受试者的情况下输入止痛药，疼痛平均指数下降到了55。但在科学家告知受试者止痛药正被输入他们体内后，疼痛指数下跌至39。而在宣称停止输入止痛药后，疼痛指数又上升至64，而事实上药物输入过程并没有间断。
与此同时，研究人员还对受试者的脑部活动进行了MRI扫描。扫描结果显示，受试者以为自己没有被输入止痛药时，大脑的痛觉神经系统更为活跃。领导该研究的牛津大学教授艾琳称：“病人的负面预期会产生某种药理结果，大夫们不应忽视这种影响。”
