Catechol-O-Methyltransferase val158met Polymorphism Predicts Placebo Effect in Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Kathryn T. Hall; Anthony J. Lembo; Irving Kirsch; Dimitrios C. Ziogas; Jeffrey Douaiher; Karin B. Jensen; Lisa A. Conboy; John M. Kelley; Efi Kokkotou; Ted J. Kaptchuk

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048135

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Peer-reviewed

Research Article

Catechol-O-Methyltransferase val158met Polymorphism Predicts Placebo Effect in Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Kathryn T. Hall ,

* E-mail: kthall@bidmc.harvard.edu

Affiliations Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
⨯
Anthony J. Lembo,

Affiliations Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Department of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
⨯
Irving Kirsch,

Affiliations Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom
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Dimitrios C. Ziogas,

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Jeffrey Douaiher,

Affiliation Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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Karin B. Jensen,

Affiliations Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Lisa A. Conboy,

Affiliation Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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John M. Kelley,

Affiliations Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Endicott College, Beverly, Massachusetts, United States of America
⨯
Efi Kokkotou,

Affiliations Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Department of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
⨯
Ted J. Kaptchuk

Affiliations Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
⨯

Catechol-O-Methyltransferase val158met Polymorphism Predicts Placebo Effect in Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Kathryn T. Hall,
Anthony J. Lembo,
Irving Kirsch,
Dimitrios C. Ziogas,
Jeffrey Douaiher,
Karin B. Jensen,
Lisa A. Conboy,
John M. Kelley,
Efi Kokkotou,
Ted J. Kaptchuk

Published: October 23, 2012
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0048135

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A change in the disease process or a change in questionnaire answering behaviour?

Posted by AndrewK on 08 Nov 2012 at 14:27 GMT

The results of studies like this one may be confounded due to the fact that self-report questionnaires are used in the place of objective measures of the disease process.

Thus, the measured effects of the treatment may simply be due to short term changes in questionnaire answering behaviour. Based on a number of biases, including simple human optimism.

The genetic marker observed in this study may simply be associated with such change in behaviour, rather than an underlying change in the disease process.

I strongly that a long term trial (years) of such placebo treatments would see the treatment effect size reverting towards the mean, as the behavioural biases on symptom reporting diminish.

No competing interests declared.

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Catechol-O-Methyltransferase val158met Polymorphism Predicts Placebo Effect in Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Catechol-O-Methyltransferase val158met Polymorphism Predicts Placebo Effect in Irritable Bowel Syndrome

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A change in the disease process or a change in questionnaire answering behaviour?

Posted by AndrewK on 08 Nov 2012 at 14:27 GMT