The Actual Impact Of The Placebo Effect On Science

We know the placebo effect works, but researchers are starting to figure out exactly why and how doctors could use it to treat patients.


Read More:
Placebo Effect May Account for Half of Drug's Efficacy
"Even when a medication works, half of its impact on a patient may be due to one aspect of the placebo effect: the positive message that a doctor provides when prescribing the treatment, according to a new study."

Scientists have identified a part of the brain responsible for the placebo effect
"Scientists think they've located a region of the brain that's linked to the placebo effect - a psychological phenomenon where patients feel better because they think they've been given real drugs, when in fact all they've been given is sugar pills."

The Placebo Phenomenon
"But researchers have found that placebo treatments-interventions with no active drug ingredients-can stimulate real physiological responses, from changes in heart rate and blood pressure to chemical activity in the brain, in cases involving pain, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and even some symptoms of Parkinson's."
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Written by: Trace Dominguez

[RJandPAULA]

It's the Power of the Mind... Some people just don't believe in it. 😊

[Master_Therion]

My dentist prescribed me sugar pills, he said they help prevent cavities... he was wrong!

[dropj]

I think the placebo effect is a wonderful demonstration of the power of the mind. It shows that we have the ability to overcome conditions without real medication that seem impossible at first.

I look forward to the moment when we can harness the mechanism behind the placebo effect so we can use it for the treatment of many conditions. particularly psychosocial problems

[legolite]

Someone replaced my sugar pill with viagra

[wasinAlpha]

The 1st time I was away from my MOM I got sick and I thought Phthalazolum was the medicine that I should take when I have cold. Cause the name sounded familiar. Turns out it was just pellet of clay to reduce stomach abnormalities. And it actually worked couple of times :D

[JohnSmith-tdhd]

Interesting idea. I'd say that since placebos (and "nocebos") exist, then we might as well use them to our advantage.

[walrusmagic]

I like these short and to the point videos.

[Chris-kwnx]

Oh so that explains the Matrix movies. You just have to believe that the pill you choose takes you to another world.

[dslashg]

I remember this from sweet life on deck omg

[willification]

Doctors should definitely prescribe placebos when people demand antibiotics to treat viral infections.

[reggie]

Could the placebo effect be one of the major reasons why so many people believe in god? I believe so

[mango]

does it work the other way around?
im very negative with medicines and stuff and I feel as if they dont have an effect on me

[hoagie]

There are two main problems with placebos. The first is that whilst our bodies are quite similar, our minds are significantly less so, hence whilst placebos may work for some they will not work for others. Thus they are less reliable when prescribed. Secondly, analysing brain patterns to understand how placebo effects work is a complicated task, and we are nowhere near close enough to using such knowledge to control for placebos. Rather, we must control for them by using a control group. Control groups are problematic because they cut your sample size, and because they can be infeasible if the treatment is identifiable, e.g. mosquito net vs. mosquito spray.

[klondike]

I heard about a study that claimed to show that the placebo effect can be observed in people who are aware they are taking placebos. If true, maybe the mind can "fool itself", or maybe the placebo effect is partly a result a doctor or experimenter just showing an interest in a patient's condition.

[Craznar]

How do you double blind test the placebo effect ?

[MrMightymist]

There's also a thing called place-bae effect where you assume you're right hand is your bae.

[Majinant]

I'd be so paranoid that I had gotten the placebo I would never get better :(

[Windmelodie]

Remember when you were a kid and drank some red grape juice and thought it was wine so you "got drunk" and acted in a weird manner? (We all did that sort of thing at least once in our life, don't deny it)

[tacticalultimatum]

As a doctor I prefer to prescribe memes

[Geckok]

Fortunately, I know that I can give myself the Placebo Effect consciously.
It really works if I try hard enough to believe it.

Not mystical or weird at all, just biochemistry.
Thoughts are biochemistry.