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Placebo Effect

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   A placebo effect is a phenomenon which may result in some therapeutic
   effect in subjects given placebo.

Experimental Research
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   [3.3.1 Placebo Effect____________]
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   A placebo is a sham medical intervention that exploits the
   hope/expectancy-effect to the treatment. It involves giving subject an
   inert sugar pill, and he/she is told that it may improve the condition,
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   improve.

   Placebo treatment is widely practices in medicine, and it has been
   recognized to have clinically important effects. A placebo has been
   defined as a substance or any procedure that is given objectively
   without any specific activity for the condition being treated.

   Indeed, wide variety of things can be considered placebo and do show
   placebo effect. These may include pharmacological substances like
   pills, inhalants, creams, injections or even medical devices such as
   ultrasound, surgery, acupuncture to name few.
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How it Works?

   The placebo effect phenomenon is related to the perception and
   expectations of the subject. If subject see it helpful, it can heal,
   and if viewed as harmful, it can cause negative effects or what is
   known as nocebo effect.

   Both expectations and conditioning play an important role in placebo
   effect and make different kind of contribution.

   The expectancy effect is seen to be enhanced through factors like
   positive attitude of doctor, different in color and size of placebo
   pills, or use of injections. In one study, researchers found that
   response to placebo treatment was increased from 44% to 62% when the
   healthcare professional gave them warmth, attention, and confidence.

   Conditioning on the other hand exerts long lasting effects and it seems
   to affect early stages of information processing. However, as placebo
   effect is based upon conditioning and expectations of the subject, the
   effect is seen to disappear if the subject is informed that his/her
   expectations are unrealistic, or that placebo treatment is completely
   ineffective.

   Despite ongoing controversy concerning use of placebo therapy, there
   are number of reports showing positive effects of placebo treatment.
   Placebo seems to work in alleviating pain, anxiety, depression,
   Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, and even cancer.

   Remarkable recovery of “Mr. Wright” from a deadly cancer is just an
   example of placebo treatment. Placebo effects seems not only be arise
   from conscious belief but also from subconscious associations between
   recovery and treatment as researchers has found that placebo effect
   does arise from active processes in brain.
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   Citation:

   Explorable.com (Mar 22, 2009). Placebo Effect. Retrieved Jan 03, 2014
   from Explorable.com: http://explorable.com/placebo-effect
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