Names (s): ______________________________

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Section: ___________ Date: ______________ Universidad Simón Bolívar
Departamento de Idiomas

Intensive Reading Worksheet 1

Brain Imaging Study Reveals Placebo's Effect

Scientists have recognized for some time that people suffering from depression often experience a substantial
reduction in symptoms when given a placebo. In fact, this observation has led some researchers to propose
that up to 75 percent of the apparent efficacy of antidepressant medicine may actually be attributable to the
placebo effect. Determining the cause of a patient's improvement under such circumstances is no easy task.
But the results of a new study may shed light on the matter. According to a report in the January issue of the
American Journal of Psychiatry, depressed patients who respond to placebo treatment do exhibit a change in
brain function, but one that differs from that seen in patients who respond to medication.

Using so-called quantitative electroencephalography imaging, a team of researchers at the University of

California at Los Angeles studied electrical activity in the brains of 51 depressed patients receiving either
placebo treatment or active medication. Patients who responded favorably to the placebo, the investigators
found, showed increased activity in a region of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex. Those who responded
to medication, in contrast, exhibited suppressed activity in that area. The image shown here illustrates
changes in prefrontal cortex activity over time in the placebo responders group (top row) and the medication
responders group (bottom row), with red indicating an increase in activity and blue-green representing a
decrease. "Both treatments affect prefrontal brain function," the researchers write, "but they have distinct
effects and time courses."

These results "show us that there are different pathways to improvement for people suffering from
depression," team member Andrew Leuchter notes. "Medications are effective, but there may be other ways
to help people get better," he adds. "If we can identify what some of the mechanisms are that help people get
better with placebo, we may be able to make treatments more effective." -Kate Wong

Write the meaning of the following words according to the context

(write ONLY in English): Find the referents for the following words (underlined): -use
Words Meaning English or Spanish for your answers.
1. placebo words Referents
2. led 1. this
3. shed light on 2. that
4. issue 3. Those
5. either...or 4. they
6. distinct 5. us
7. pathways
8. there may be

Find the prefix or suffix contained in the following words (over dotted lines) and state what is the meaning of the prefix or suffix.
(write ONLY in English) .
word Prefix or suffix Meaning of prefix or suffix
1. antidepressant
2. improvement
3. activity
4. prefrontal

Write the Main idea of the text (in English or Spanish, it is up to you):

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