The use of the term "placebo" was discussed for very long ago, "placebo" had been used in therapy in associating with jugglery, religion, leading to the art of treating disease. Most physicians recognize the efficacy of placebo and magicians have got success. Placebo has latin origine as "placere" and in singular of future tense it means "I shall make a pleasure".
Placebos ; therapy ;

The acute effect of a single−dose of caffeine on the P300 event−related brain potential (ERP) was assessed in a study using a repeatedly presented auditory oddball button−press task. A dose (5mg/kg body−weight) of either caffeine or placebo lactose, dissolved in a cup of decaffeinated coffee, was administered double−blindly to coffee drinkers who had abstained from coffee for 24hrs, with the presentation order of the sessions counterbalanced and separated by 2−4 weeks. The caffeine−treatment condition demonstrated a smaller P300 amplitude and a shorter latency overall than the placebo treatment condition. The mean P300 amplitude value difference (caffeine minus placebo) increased with the successive trial blocks. Caffeine ingestion appears to yield a lower resource−consumption and a net increase in allocating attention resources for task performance across repeated measurements.
Caffeine ; Acute ; Caffeine Measurement ; Placebos ; Measured

This study evaluates the effect of a commercial brand of chicken essence (BEC) on the various parameters related to stress and cognition of human volunteers. BEC is produced by a hot-water extraction process from chicken meat under high pressure conditions. It contains concentrated amounts of proteins, amino acids and peptides such as carnosine compared to homemade traditional chicken soup. Due to the unique extraction process, it has been postulated that readily absorbed amino acids and bioactive peptides are present in BEC. In this study, we evaluated the effect of BEC in comparison with a placebo on a group of distressed medical students. Students were randomly divided into two groups and given either BEC or a placebo drink daily for two weeks. Before and after the two weeks, the students were given a series of tests to assess their level of cognitive functioning and perceived stress level while being monitored for EEG recording. The combination of these tests, namely Digit span, Arithmetic and Letter-number sequencing, generally assessed the student’s attention and working memory. The working memory performance of students who ingested essence of chicken was found to be significantly better than those who consumed placebo when data comparing baseline and after two weeks consumption were compared. This study seems to suggest that essence of chicken has positive effects on the subjects’ cognitive functions.
Chickens ; seconds ; week ; cognitive ability ; Placebos

BACKGROUND: Palmar hyperhidrosis is a common disorder of excessive sweating. A number of studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of iontophoresis in the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis. However, controlled clinical studies on iontophoresis for palmar hyperhidrosis have been limited. OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy and safety of iontophoresis in the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis with a randomized, sham-controlled, single-blind, and parallel-designed study. METHODS: Twenty nine patients with significant palmar hyperhidrosis were enrolled in this study. They received active iontophoresis treatment (group A) or sham treatment (group B). Iontophoresis was performed 20 minutes each time, five times per week, for 2 weeks. Its efficacy was assessed with starch-iodine test, mean sweat secretion rate, and hyperhidrosis disease severity scale. RESULTS: Twenty-seven of the 29 patients completed the 2-week treatment. After completion of 10 times of treatment, results of the starch-iodine test showed clinical improvement in 92.9% of patients in group A and 38.5% of patients in group B (p=0.001). The mean sweat secretion rate was reduced by 91.8% of patients in group A and by 39.1% of patients in group B (p<0.001). Improvement in quality of life was reported by 78.6% of patients in group A and by 30.8% of patients in group B (p=0.028). In group A, one case of localized adverse event was noted, although no adverse event was encountered in group B. CONCLUSION: Tap water iontophoresis could be used as an effective and safe treatment modality for palmar hyperhidrosis.
Humans ; Hyperhidrosis* ; Iontophoresis* ; Placebos ; Quality of Life ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Water*

We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy of ginseng supplements on fatigue reduction and physical performance enhancement as reported by randomized controlled trials (RCTs). RCTs that investigated the efficacy of ginseng supplements on fatigue reduction and physical performance enhancement compared with placebos were included. The main outcome measures were fatigue reduction and physical performance enhancement. Out of 155 articles meeting initial criteria, 12 RCTs involving 630 participants (311 participants in the intervention group and 319 participants in the placebo group) were included in the final analysis. In the fixed-effect meta-analysis of four RCTs, there was a statistically significant efficacy of ginseng supplements on fatigue reduction (standardized mean difference, SMD = 0.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.16 to 0.52). However, ginseng supplements were not associated with physical performance enhancement in the fixed-effect meta-analysis of eight RCTs (SMD = −0.01; 95% CI = −0.29 to 0.27). We found that there was insufficient clinical evidence to support the use of ginseng supplements on reducing fatigue and enhancing physical performance because only few RCTs with a small sample size have been published so far. Further lager RCTs are required to confirm the efficacy of ginseng supplements on fatigue reduction.
Fatigue* ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Panax* ; Placebos ; Sample Size

Attitude to Health ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Humans ; Placebos

As the placebo effect is inevitable in almost all types of treatment implemented in the context of the doctor-patient relationship, it would be a wise strategy to try to enhance the treatment effect by understanding its mechanism and applying it clinically. However, for various reasons there is resistance to therapeutical application of placebos. The main reason for this resistance comes from the confusion about the concept of the placebo, and it is necessary to differentiate the placebo response and the placebo effect and understand them clearly. Meta-analytical reviews of clinical studies showed that the placebo effect accounts for part of clinical effect of drugs. Authors reviewed meta-analytic studies dealing with the placebo effect on depression, sleep disorders, dementia, anxiety and addiction. In addition, we discussed the current state of placebo use and also the way to promote the placebo effect.
Antidepressive Agents ; Anxiety ; Dementia ; Depression ; Effect Modifier, Epidemiologic ; Placebo Effect ; Placebos* ; Sleep Wake Disorders

INTRODUCTIONThe management of psychogenic movement disorders is fraught with difficulties. Empathy and a non-judgmental manner are essential in dealing with patients, and a neurobiological explanation of the symptoms may help to foster trust, acceptance, understanding and recovery.

CLINICAL PICTUREWe report a 17-year-old Chinese girl with psychogenic blepharospasm. Her parents refused psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.

TREATMENT AND OUTCOMEPlacebo therapy (with parental consent) was prescribed with favourable results.

CONCLUSIONWe examine the ethical considerations for and against placebo therapy, and explore the role of placebo therapy in the management of psychogenic movement disorders.

Adolescent ; Blepharospasm ; psychology ; therapy ; Female ; Fraud ; Humans ; Placebo Effect ; Placebos ; therapeutic use

Depressive Disorder, Major ; drug therapy ; psychology ; Humans ; Placebos ; therapeutic use ; Prescriptions ; Treatment Outcome

We observed allergic cutaneous reaction to vitsmin K, injection in 3 patients who developed pruritic erythematous indurated plaques at the sites of intramuscular injection and leakage sites of vitamin K1 preparation into dermis during IV injection 12 to 23 days after injection. Intradermal tests with vitamin K1,K3 and their placebos performed on 145 healthy medical students revealed positive skin reaction in 13 students 7 to 22 days after injection similar to the original 3 cases. Five students also showed the same reaction to vitarnin K1 placebo, however, a more severe reaction to vitamin K1 preparation than its placebo in 3 of them, indicating that the index of cutaneous sensitivity of vitamin K1 lies somewhere between 5. 5,% and 8. 9%. There was no cross sensitivity between vitamin K1 and K3 We consider these reactions to be of allergic nature.
Dermatitis* ; Dermis ; Humans ; Injections, Intramuscular ; Intradermal Tests ; Placebos ; Skin ; Students, Medical ; Vitamin K 1* ; Vitamins*