Lecture 8

Question 1

why are all the latest drug trials failing?

Answer 1

the placebo effect is getting stronger

Question 2

what was theriac?

Answer 2

potion made from vipers’ flesh. snakes were thought to have magical powers since they could shed their skin

Question 3

what are examples of famous placebos?

Answer 3

• theriac
• unicorn’s horn
• mandrake

Question 4

what can cause a sick person to get better?

Answer 4

• natural history effects
• specific active components of a treatment
• non-specific effects of a treatment help the person (placebo effects)

Question 5

what is a placebo?

Answer 5

any medical procedure that produces an effect in a patient because of it’s therapeutic INTENT. not because of its specific nature,

Question 6

what should you do to test placebo effects?

Answer 6

1. run a study with three groups of subjects: drug, placebo, & nothing
2. objectively measure your outcome

Question 7

what are natural history effects?

Answer 7

when an ailment runs its course; how an illness can resolve on its own

Question 8

how do specific active components of a treatment help a person?

Answer 8

some sort of actual medication or active component of a drug leads to a change in the body that makes it better

Question 9

how can you objectively measure your outcome to test placebo effects?

Answer 9

not measure a self reported symptom + have the outcome observed by someone else