Visceral pain/discomfort is the cardinal complaints and treatment targets for functional
gastrointestinal disorders (FGID). However, effective treatment for such pain is limited and
often associated with high placebo effects. The mechanisms of placebo effects in visceral
pain are unclear. We used functional neuroimaging to study the central representations of
the placebo effect and its anticipation during esophageal pain in healthy adults. Fourteen
subjects were enrolled. Pain extent, psychophysical inventories [Pain Catastrophizing Scale�…