Posted by ed_uk2010 on February 16, 2015, at 17:39:40
In reply to Re: Trial design, posted by alexandra_k on February 16, 2015, at 16:34:21
Here is my impression of the ultimate placebo:
Injected
Administered by specialist staff in a specialist environment
Well presented
Causes some form of side effect - pts know they have 'received something' strong, creating confidence in the treatment. The public seem to expect side effects when told something is 'strong'.
Closely monitored
.......
All this sounds a bit like the ketamine injections used for depression, which incidentally can cause acute mood changes and often euphoria! Researchers claim that the antidepressant effect of K lasts a week after the injection. My question.... is this because K is an AD, or because the placebo effect of K is more powerful than the placebo effect of saline? K causes obvious side effects and in some cases, substantial acute euphoria. This gives the impression that something very powerful has been given. Is this why mood elevation persists long after the K has been eliminated from the body? Or it is because K is truly an AD with effects lasting beyond the elimination of the drug? Given that other drugs acting at the same receptor have shown AD activity in preliminary trials without the acute mood changes, I think it's probably a bit of both.
Interesting anyway.
poster:ed_uk2010
thread:1076696
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20150129/msgs/1076773.html