Update: See also Lessons from the Video Game Brain
The Journal of Neuroscience has published a Swedish study which, according to New Scientist (and the rest) is something of a breakthrough:
First 'Placebo Gene' Discovered
I rather like the idea of a dummy gene made of sugar, or perhaps a gene for being Brian Moloko, but what they're referring to is a gene, TPH2, which allegedly determines susceptibility to the placebo effect. Interesting, if true. Genetic Future was skeptical of the study because of its small sample size. It is small, but I'm not too concerned about that because there are, unfortunately, other serious problems with this study and the reporting on it. I should say at the outset, however, that most of what I'm about to criticize is depressingly common in the neuroimaging literature. The authors of this study have done some good work in the past and are, I'm sure, no worse than most researchers. With that in mind...
