Placebo Power: The Superior Efficacy of ‘Expensive’ Fake Drugs
New research finds people suffering from Parkinson’s responded more strongly to a placebo if it was described to them as an expensive drug.
Browsing Tag
Placebo Effect
10 posts
The Placebo Effect Even Works for Sleep
New research suggests we perform better on cognitive tests if we're told we had a good night's sleep.
Pills Fight Pain — And You Don’t Even Have to Take Them
New research finds simply examining a bottle of ibuprofen increases tolerance of physical suffering.
Placebo Effect Produces Higher Test Scores
A new study finds it’s possible to trick people into doing better on a general-knowledge exam.
Ginkgo Biloba Not a Wonder Drug, After All
A well-designed study shows that the popular Chinese herb does not protect against Alzheimer’s. Will anyone listen?
Placebo Effect Stronger Than We Thought?
Double-blind trials have long been considered the gold standard to determine drugs’ effectiveness. Do we need to rethink that assumption, given the power of the placebo effect?
Dr. Placebo — Half Quack and Half Savant
The placebo effect’s ability to influence human healing and human behavior is well documented, but we must be careful to make sure this fakery does no harm.
Magical Elixirs and Beneficial Bracelets
Surely wrapping a hologram around my wrist in a neoprene band has got to allow me to maximize my greatest potential.
The Chemical Contrails of the Placebo
Studies are finding that the pain relief induced by placebos may come from releasing the body's own chemical pain relievers.
The Sugar High Jump
The results of a new study point to placebos as the perfect performance-enhancing drug: Athletes performed better on a high-jump test after unknowingly 'doping' with sugar pills.