Sally Satel, MD, had an informative piece on the use of placebos in clinical medicine in The Wall Street Journal (Nov 14, 2008). You may need to pay for full access, but if you've been curious about the recent controversy about the use of placebo (literally "I shall please" in Latin) treatments, you should read her article. Here's an excerpt:
Psychologists call it the subject-expectancy effect, referring to the
observation that an individual is more likely to feel better if he
believes an intervention will be therapeutic. This belief can be a very
powerful force. In research studies, generally 30% of participants
receiving a sugar pill derive actual, if short-lived, relief from
post-operative pain, wound pain, headache, mild depression, motion
sickness and anxiety...
Scientists posit that the very expectation of effect unleashes a cascade of biochemical events in the brain. Consider pain relief. Brain-imaging reveals placebo and opiate-drugs activate the same regions of the brain. This suggests the existence of a common neurological pathway underlying the placebo-induced pain relief and narcotic-induced analgesia. Conversely, placebo-induced pain relief can be abolished by administering a drug known to reverse narcotic analgesia.
Scientists posit that the very expectation of effect unleashes a cascade of biochemical events in the brain. Consider pain relief. Brain-imaging reveals placebo and opiate-drugs activate the same regions of the brain. This suggests the existence of a common neurological pathway underlying the placebo-induced pain relief and narcotic-induced analgesia. Conversely, placebo-induced pain relief can be abolished by administering a drug known to reverse narcotic analgesia.
That's some of the science. Dr. Satel also discuss some of the ethical issues involved in placebo use, as well.
