Conditioned Beverage

Gustatory cues were selected because they are distinctive, salient, and considered especially associable with immune-related responses. Drug uniqueness in appearance, taste, and route of administration may strengthen conditioned responses. The conditioned stimulus is a 100 mL novel-tasting beverage made from strawberry milk, lavender oil, and green food colouring. Reinforcement-group patients watch a medical educational video explaining that the beverage may increase medication effect through conditioning. The educational video was developed with input from the CRC patient advisory board.