Placebos have powerful effects on the mind and the body. They can produce improvements, cause side effects, and reverse the actions of medications. Indeed, placebos are so powerful that medications are approved by the FDA only if they are proven better than placebos in clinical trials. For example, Namenda was not approved for treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease because it did not do better than placebo. But treatment versus placebo effects is complicated as is demonstrated by teasing out whether antidepressants work better than placebos in treating depression. Irving Kirsch (2008) completed a technical review (called a metaanalysis) of antidepressants and placebos as they are compared to no treatment. Among his findings were that some get better by treatment with active medications. Some get better with placebos (as many as 30% of study participants by some estimates). The […]