The placebo effect is a mysterious phenomenon that happens when someone’s medical symptoms are lessened through the power of suggestion and expectation – for instance if someone’s illness ...

A placebo is often thought of in terms of a sugar pill but it essentially refers to any treatment or intervention that in itself has no biological effect - e.g. a saline injection or even ...

fit the definition. According to historians, the placebo effect (it's also sometimes referred to as placebo response) was first described in 1799 by an English physician. More than two centuries ...

Ted Kaptchuk investigates placebo effects and has published over 100 articles — including clinical trials, neuroimaging studies, historical investigations, methodological reviews and ethical ...

“While superstitions can, on some occasions, build confidence, superstitious behaviour is doing this through a placebo effect and coincidence. This is where superstitious behaviours can leave ...

Many mild, adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine, such as headaches and fatigue, could be attributed to a negative version of the placebo effect, a group of researchers suggests. In a study ...

While the “placebo effect” is a well-known concept that describes the benefits a patient feels from a treatment that cannot be attributed to the placebo itself, it is even less clear why ...