The placebo effect is an apparent improvement in health due not to any treatment but only to the patient's belief that he or she will improve (as by taking a dummy pill that is thought to be a cure). A report released in 2001, however, reviewed 114 studies where use of a placebo was compared to both treatment and no treatment and found no placebo effect with respect to measurable medical conditions, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels. An opposite, or negative placebo effect, has been observed when patients believe their health will get worse.
The Columbia Encyclopedia. Copyright © 2001-09 Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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