Placebos,
wonder drugs?
Miles Campbell and Alan Jones

Background: pub night

Imagine a wonder drug...
• Placebo: a substance or procedure that
has no known specific activity for the
condition being treated.
• Pills, creams, inhalants, injections, ultrasound,
sham surgery, acupuncture... even the
practitioner
• Effectiveness as high as 90% of trial
participants

Common household
placebos

Why such a bad rep?
• Drug testing assumes placebos are a
baseline
• But they do have an effect
• 75% of the effect of anti-depression meds
may be due to placebo effect*
Kirsch, I. Sapirstein, G. (1998) Listening to Prozac but hearing placebo: A meta-analysis of antidepressant medication.

Nocebos

Designing the best
placebos
Low expectancy strength, discount price
Low expectancy strength, full price
High expectancy strength, discount price
High expectancy strength, full price

Designing the best
placebos
11
10.1
9
7.4
7
5.8
4.2
4
2
0
Low expectancy strength, discount price
Low expectancy strength, full price
High expectancy strength, discount price
High expectancy strength, full price

New AMA* guidelines
* American Medical Association

New AMA* guidelines
* American Medical Association
ell, ye s!
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Placebo consent form

Placebo consent form

More info
• Draft placebo consent form:
• http://tinyurl.com/placeboconsent
• Research and articles we’ve used:
• http://tinyurl.com/placeboresources
• These slides:
• http://www.slideshare.net/bigyahu
• Photo credits:
• Why such a bad rep? - Selva
• Nocebo - Akácio S.