Understanding Symptom Expectancy and its Impact on Food Sensitivity

Food sensitivity is rarely a simple cause and effect. Biological and psychological factors interplay to produce symptoms. We will talk about the role of symptom expectancy (i.e., nocebo response) in exacerbating symptom severity and how minimizing expectancy can dramatically improve quality of life.

Dr. Simons is a GI psychologist in the Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute at the Cleveland Clinic and specializes in treating motility related gastrointestinal conditions. She is particularly interested in the precipitants and consequences of dietary modification in digestive disease and the overlap between gynecologic and gastrointestinal conditions.

Listeners can contact Dr. Simons via email at simonsm3@ccf.org.