• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Placebo Effect

Don for what? Every system will have some placebo effect, more the faith in any system more will also be the "placebo effect".;)
 
From the article
He suggest two possible explanations. The first is the "cognitive" hypothesis, where the physiological effects are triggered by the patient's expectation of benefits. The second is the classic "conditioning" response. This was discovered in 1889 by the Russian psychologist, Ivan Pavlov, who found conditioning could induce dogs to salivate for food at the sound of a bell. "The context around the therapy could induce such a response," says Benedetti.
Click to expand...


He missed the third obvious explanation. The water that the salt was disolved in once upon a time was in contact with something that produces the same effects as parkinsons , but then accurately mimicing the homeopathic process tumbled down waterfalls, then through evaportation, rainfall, and distilation turned out to be an exact 100C homeopathic cure.
:rolleyes:
 
Kumar, I retract my inferred allegation. I presumed incorrectly and unfairly that you would view that article to be some kind of inadvertent affirmation of tissue salt theory (i.e. far from being a placebo effect, it was a positive reaction to the salts contained in the supposed placebo).

I apologise unreservedly to jumping to such a conclusion (*smack* ..... bad Don..... *smack* ..... naughty Don ...... *smack* ..... go to your room without supper)
 
"simple salt solution"-- Can there be any role of this+placebo with neurons response?
 
It's unclear from this article whether the doctors were blind to which substance was being given to the patients. With the expectation, and maybe the hope, that placebo might produce the same effects as dopamine drugs, this could have, dare I say it, influenced their results.
In addition, searching the archives of Nature Neuroscience from which the article claims its source reveals not a single paper writted by 'Benedetti'. Am I looking in the wrong place, or is this unpublished (and hence as yet not peer reviewed) research?
 
Hey! Don't knock Placebo! It's the only thing which is effective for my hypochondria!
 
That article is a 'teaser' for sure, no substance.
First, he "pre-conditioned" the patients by giving them three doses of apomorphine. Then he surgically implanted electrodes into each patient's subthalamic nucleus, each carrying sensors to monitor the firing activity of around 100 individual neurons.

During the surgery, for which the patients remained awake, he also administered the placebo. He found that it induced the same calming effect on neurons as the apomorphine.

Residual traces of apomorphine cannot explain the findings, he says: "Apomorphine effects only last for one hour, and the last apomorphine dose they received was 24 hours before the operation."
Click to expand...

All patients have been exposed to parkinson drugs in the past.
These in specific had the apomorphine. No discussion of cocurrent medications.
No discussion of baselines level of neuronal activity.
No dicussion of neruronal activity with apomorphine.
No discussion of neuronal activity with saline.
No controls.
No sample size.
No trial size.
 
I happened to attend a lecture by Dr. Benedetti two weeks ago. The article, IIRC, is "in press" therefore it has been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication.
 
The Don said:
I presumed incorrectly and unfairly that you would view that article to be some kind of inadvertent affirmation of tissue salt theory (i.e. far from being a placebo effect, it was a positive reaction to the salts contained in the supposed placebo).
Click to expand...
Kumar said:
"simple salt solution"-- Can there be any role of this+placebo with neurons response?
Click to expand...
Don... did you do this deliberately?
 
Kumar said:
What is the basis of nerve impulses/neuron responses?
Click to expand...

A standard physiology text or innumerable websites can give you an appropriate lecture on basic neurophysiology. For an historical perspective, try Googling on "squid giant axon"
 
Ok, what is the effect of taste or other sensation to any senory part of body of any substance on physiology of the body? Does the body system prepare itself & trigger some prcesses to deal with that substance on getting any taste or sensation to tongue or any other sensory part/organ?
 
Kumar said:
Ok, what is the effect of taste or other sensation to any senory part of body of any substance on physiology of the body? Does the body system prepare itself & trigger some prcesses to deal with that substance on getting any taste or sensation to tongue or any other sensory part/organ?
Click to expand...
Badly Shaved Monkey said:
A standard physiology text or innumerable websites can give you an appropriate lecture on basic neurophysiology.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for good suggetions. I shall find out.

Now other question to the topic subject.

Can we enhance this so called " Placebo effect" by keeping more faith, by daily worshiping its remedies, by studying its theory & effects very deeply etc.?
 
Kumar said:
Thanks for good suggetions. I shall find out.

Now other question to the topic subject.

Can we enhance this so called " Placebo effect" by keeping more faith, by daily worshiping its remedies, by studying its theory & effects very deeply etc.?
Click to expand...

No one knows really.

But come on down folks, thars a gonna be a lynchin' if ol' Koomar sez all this in the comp'ny o' homeepaths. Yee-Har.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom