1) What is a placebo?
an inert substance or non-therapeutic action masquerading as
True or false? Doctors in the 1930's and 40's knowingly prescribed
placebo to patients.
How many patients with depression feel better on placebo?
Andrew Leuchter compared the brains of depressed patients on placebo
and the brains of patients on real antidepressant medication. What
surprising result did he obtain?
a) people on placebo did not feel
as good as people on real medication
b) people on placebo experienced
a change of brain activity inthe
same area of the brain that responds to real
c) people on placebo felt better than
people on real medication
d) none of these
What is the problem with the standard treatment for Parkinson's
After several years of therapy, the benefit of the medication
wears off before the next does is due.
When Jon Stoessl compared real Parkinson's treatment to placebo
treatment, what surprising result did he obtain?
The patients' brains responded the same to real treatment as
to the placebo treatment.
Ron Turner is testing the effectiveness of an herbal remedy thought
to cure colds. How does he do it?
Infect a group of people with the cold. Give some the remedy,
give some a placebo. Compare the two groups.
When Turner matched up the severity of infections in those given
the real substance versus those given the placebo, what did he find?
a) those on the placebo were less
b) those on the real substance were
c) no difference between
those on the placebo and those on
the real substance *
d) none of these.
In the acupuncture study, what is Ted Kaptchuk trying to compare?
a) the placebo effect of
acupuncture versus the placebo
affect of pill *
b) sham acupuncture versus real
c) acupuncture versus pain medicine
d) none of these
The Italian scientists have found that people given placebo pain
killers react how?
Their brains release natural pain killers