Prompt Cast
The Placebo Effect: How Our Minds Can Influence Our Bodies
TLDR The placebo effect is a phenomenon where people experience positive effects and increased brain activity after receiving a pill or medical intervention, even if it is not medicine or a real intervention. It can be influenced by psychological factors, genetics, personal experiences, and the appearance of the pill, and can even have negative side effects.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The placebo effect comes from the word "placebo" which originally referred to hired mourners at funerals in the 14th century.
04:49
The placebo effect was first noticed by Dr. Henry Beecher during World War II when a nurse gave a soldier a shot of saline and told him it was morphine, and from there, the double blind placebo study was proposed to prove the efficacy of drugs.
09:08
The placebo effect is the phenomenon where people feel better after receiving a pill or medical intervention, even if it is not medicine or a real intervention, and it can be caused by psychological factors or actual physical responses.
13:43
Studies have shown that the placebo effect can elicit a physical response in the body, with patients on placebos reporting positive effects and increased brain activity compared to those on actual drugs.
18:19
The placebo effect can be influenced by a person's genetics and personal experiences with past pills, as well as the color, shape, and size of the pill.
22:36
The placebo effect can also have negative side effects, and it can be triggered by factors such as the color of a room or the appearance of a pill, as well as the ritual and attention given by a physician.
26:56
Placebos are less effective if patients are not told what they are supposed to do, even if the treatment is a proven drug, and studies have shown that even injections of saline can reduce pain if patients are told it is a pain reliever.
31:07
Critics of the placebo effect argue that it can be explained by factors such as hypochondria, natural healing processes, and the absence of medication in control groups.
35:33
The AMA guidelines state that doctors can use placebos for diagnosis or treatment if the patient is informed and agrees to it, but it is still debated whether a placebo can work if the patient knows it is a placebo.
39:54
The hosts thank their staff and a listener from Australia for their support and express their appreciation for helping the listener through a difficult time.
Categories:
Society & Culture
