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For Patients with Parkinson's Disease, Expensive Placebo Works Better
http://io9.com/for-patients-with-parkinsons-disease-expensive-placebo-1683073664
For Patients with Parkinson's Disease, Expensive Placebo Works Better
Robbie Gonzalez
Sunday 7:30am
In a recent study, an "expensive" salt solution was shown to to be significantly more effective at managing the symptoms of patients with Parkinson's disease than an "inexpensive" one. The salt solutions were identical placebos.
Scientific American's Karen Hopkins summarizes the study's design and findings:
The researchers – lead by Alberto J. Espay, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Cincinnati – reported their findings in this week's issue of the journal Neurology. "Expensive placebo significantly improved motor function and decreased brain activation in a direction and magnitude comparable to, albeit less than, levodopa" the researchers write.
At The New York Times, Nicholas Bakalar adds that "the effect of the expensive placebo was not significantly different from that of levodopa, the most effective medication for Parkinson's disease." This observation says as much about the potency of the placebo affect as it does about the neurological mechanisms of Parkinson's disease, and, to a lesser extent, the inadequacies of levodopa. It's worth unpacking.
<snip>
For Patients with Parkinson's Disease, Expensive Placebo Works Better
Robbie Gonzalez
Sunday 7:30am
In a recent study, an "expensive" salt solution was shown to to be significantly more effective at managing the symptoms of patients with Parkinson's disease than an "inexpensive" one. The salt solutions were identical placebos.
Scientific American's Karen Hopkins summarizes the study's design and findings:
To examine whether the perceived cost could be a factor, researchers told 12 people with Parkinson's that they would be receiving two formulations of a new medication. The patients believed that one version of the drug cost $100 a dose, while the other one cost 15 times as much.
The results? Participants who started with the supposedly high-priced drug showed 28 percent greater improvement in motor skills than those who got the cheaper placebo first.
The researchers – lead by Alberto J. Espay, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Cincinnati – reported their findings in this week's issue of the journal Neurology. "Expensive placebo significantly improved motor function and decreased brain activation in a direction and magnitude comparable to, albeit less than, levodopa" the researchers write.
At The New York Times, Nicholas Bakalar adds that "the effect of the expensive placebo was not significantly different from that of levodopa, the most effective medication for Parkinson's disease." This observation says as much about the potency of the placebo affect as it does about the neurological mechanisms of Parkinson's disease, and, to a lesser extent, the inadequacies of levodopa. It's worth unpacking.
<snip>
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