Mental Notes Magazine - UW Family Medicine - University of ...

Summer 2012
Contents
FEATURES
5 The Many Facets of the
Placebo Effect
Most of us think of a fake pill or treatment
when we hear the word placebo. Perhaps
a better way to think about the placebo
effect is to call it a “meaning” effect. The
article explores this fascinating subject.
By Dr. David Kiefer and Dr. Bruce Barrett
14 Coincidence Studies
We all experience what may be referred to
as weird coincidences. At times you may be
thinking of someone and then they call. This
new field of research investigates this most
interesting topic.
By Dr. Bernard D. Beitman
23 Winning, Losing and Human
Evolution
How differently we feel when we win or
when we lose. There actually may be an
evolutionary component to these reactions.
By Dr. Leon Sloman
8 Everyone is Psychosomatic
Disease affects life, attitudes and even
values. Medical knowledge and technology
has transferred the control of disease
from the patient to the doctor. An illness
can result in transient or permanent
transformations for the individual.
By Dr. Lazslo Antonio Ávila
11 Biopsychosocial Model of
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Have you ever considered how your
thoughts, feelings, memories, and your
environment can influence GI functioning
Read more about this intriguing connection.
By Dr. Madhusudan Grover and Dr. Douglas
A. Drossman
17 Dream and Emotion
Regulation
Neuroimaging technologies have enabled a
more comprehensive understanding of the
mechanisms of dreaming. Dreams in part
help us to regulate emotions.
By Catherine Duclos, MSc candidate
and Dr. Martin Desseilles
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
4 Editors Message
20 A Neurobiological Basis for
Empathy; Lessons from Humans
and Rodents
Empathy is a widely recognized human
attribute whose neurobiology is only
beginning to be explored.
By Dr. Jeff Sanders, Dr. Thomas W Meeks
and Dr. Dilip V Jeste
26 Social networking on the
Internet: From pastime to excess
and addiction
The last decade has seen an exponential
rise in the popularity of social networking
sites. There is a growing concern regarding
internet addictions. This article looks at
various studies regarding this topic.
By Daria J. Kuss (Doctoral Researcher)
and Dr. Mark D. Griffiths
29 Willpower Depletion and Its
Effects on Work Outcome
Every day, people resist the impulse to eat
junk food, to say inappropriate things, etc.
But did you know that self control requires
energy.
By Dr. Alessandro Bucciol, Dr. Daniel Houser
and Dr. Marco Piovesan
Summer 2012 / Mental Notes / 3