Clinical Topics & News
Classical Conditioning in the Treatment of Psoriasis
Cutis. 2000 November;66(5):370-372
By
Ader R

It has been argued that the placebo effect represents a learned response. Research is suggested to address the utility of applying principles derived from classical (Pavlovian) conditioning to the design of drug treatment protocols. In the present instance, it is hypothesized that, by capitalizing on conditioned pharmacotherapeutic responses, it may be possible to reduce the cumulative amount of corticosteroid medication used in the treatment of psoriasis.