Professor Tracey said: "Doctors need more time for consultation and to investigate the cognitive side of illness, the focus is on physiology not the mind, which can be a real roadblock to treatment." Brain scans during the experiment also showed which regions of the brain were affected. The expectation of positive treatment was associated with activity in the cingulo-frontal and subcortical brain areas, while the negative expectation led to increased activity in the hippocampus and the medial frontal cortex. Researchers also say the study raises concerns about clinical trials used to determine the effectiveness of drugs.