Medical Research

Clinical research refers to studies in which people participate as patients or volunteers. Different terms are used to describe clinical research, including clinical studies, clinical trials, studies, research, trials, and protocols. Clinical research... Full Answer

There are different types of clinical trials: Prospective Trials—Patients are identified and then followed over time. Randomized Trials—Patients are grouped by chance into (typically) a treatment group and a control group (also called... Full Answer

A case conference or tumor board is a unique opportunity to have an interdisciplinary team of physicians and other health care specialists come together to discuss your case and treatment plan. Pathologists, radiologists, surgeons, medical... Full Answer

You may have heard of something called the “placebo effect.” Essentially, this term describes when a person feels better after a treatment not because the treatment is effective, but because the person thinks it will help.   When... Full Answer

Hawthorne effect: Subjects respond to knowledge of being evaluated and observed. Jastrow effect: Subjects respond to explicit expectation about outcome. Pygmalion effect: Evaluators expect therapeutic benefit, so they see it. John Henry effect: Control... Full Answer

Just as the placebo response is influenced by a patient's attitude, so too is the nocebo response. It is another example of the power of expectations. The classic example comes from the Framingham Heart Study, in which, among women with similar risk... Full Answer

Nocebo, which means, “I will harm” in Latin, is a term that describes the negative reaction of a subject in a medical trial after being given an inert substance or placebo.  This is a reaction that is not generated as a result of the... Full Answer

Following symptoms and side effects are produced by placebos. Anger Anorexia Behavioral changes Depression Dermatitis Diarrhea Drowsiness Hallucinations Headache Lightheadedness Pain Palpitation Pupillary dilation Rash Weakness Full Answer

The noted Harvard psychologist Herbert Benson has described three basic components of heightening a placebo response: one, the belief and expectation of the patient; two, the belief and expectation of the physician; three, the interaction between the... Full Answer

The development of the drug industry has been based largely on the perceived value of the placebo-controlled trial. In order for a drug to be approved, it must show a therapeutic effect greater than that of a placebo. Because both the doctor's and the... Full Answer