Harnessing placebo: Lessons from psychedelic science

Chloe Pronovost-Morgan*, Ido Hartogsohn, Johannes G. Ramaekers

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal(Systematic) Review article peer-review

Abstract

The randomized controlled trial (RCT) research design assumes that a drug's "specific" effect can be isolated, added, and subtracted from the "nonspecific" effect of context and person. While RCTs are helpful in assessing the added benefit of a novel drug, they tend to obscure the curative potential of extra-pharmacological variables, known as "the placebo effect." Ample empirical evidence suggests that person/context-dependent physical, social, and cultural variables not only add to, but also shape drug effects, making them worth harnessing for patient benefits. Nevertheless, utilizing placebo effects in medicine is challenging due to conceptual and normative obstacles. In this article, we propose a new framework inspired by the field of psychedelic science and its employment of the "set and setting" concept. This framework acknowledges that drug and nondrug factors have an interactive and synergistic relationship. From it, we suggest ways to reintegrate nondrug variables into the biomedical toolbox, to ethically harness the placebo effect for improved clinical care.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)866-875
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Psychopharmacology
Volume37
Issue number9
Early online date30 Jun 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2023

Keywords

  • Placebo
  • placebo effect
  • set and setting
  • psychedelics
  • additive model
  • interactive model
  • CLINICAL-PRACTICE
  • EXPECTANCY
  • DRUGS
  • PERFORMANCE
  • EXPERIENCE
  • MEDICINE
  • CULTURE
  • DESIGN
  • IMPACT
  • ETHICS

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Harnessing placebo: Lessons from psychedelic science'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this