Things To know About Placebo Effect

 What Is the Placebo Effect?

The mind can have a powerful influence on the body, and in some cases, can even help the body heal. The mind can even sometimes trick you into believing that a fake treatment has real therapeutic results, a phenomenon that is known as the placebo effect. In some cases, placebos can exert an influence powerful enough to mimic the effects of real medical treatments.

The power of the placebo effect

Your mind can be a powerful healing tool when given the chance. The idea that your brain can convince your body a fake treatment is the real thing — the so-called placebo effect — and thus stimulate healing has been around for millennia. Now science has found that under the right circumstances, a placebo can be just as effective as traditional treatments.

"The placebo effect is more than positive thinking — believing a treatment or procedure will work. It's about creating a stronger connection between the brain and body and how they work together," says Professor Ted Kaptchuk of Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, whose research focuses on the placebo effect.

Placebos won't lower your cholesterol or shrink a tumor. Instead, placebos work on symptoms modulated by the brain, like the perception of pain. "Placebos may make you feel better, but they will not cure you," says Kaptchuk. "They have been shown to be most effective for conditions like pain management, stress-related insomnia, and cancer treatment side effects like fatigue and nausea."

Effect Of Placebo On Depression:-

A 2015 study Trusted Sourceinvestigated the placebo effect in 35 people with depression. Participants weren’t currently taking any other medications for depression at the time. The study was set up like this:

1. Each participant received placebo pills. However, some were labeled as a fast-acting antidepressant (the active placebo) while others were labeled as a placebo (the inactive placebo). Each group took the pills for a week.
2. At the end of the week, a PETscan measured brain activity. During the scan, the active placebo group got a placebo injection, being told that it may improve their mood. The inactive placebo group received no injection.
3. The two groups switched pill types for another week. A second PET scan performed at the end of the week.
4. All participants then received treatment with antidepressant tablets for 10 weeks.

Researchers found that some individuals experienced the placebo effect and that this effect impacted their brain activity and response to antidepressants. The results were that:

• A decrease in depression symptoms was reported when people were taking the active placebo.
• Taking the active placebo (including the placebo injection) was associated with PET scans that showed increases in brain activity in areas associated with emotion and stress regulation.
• People who experienced increased brain activity in this area often had an improved response to the antidepressants used at the end of the study.

Article by :

Smith pandya