Open-label Placebos for Wound Healing: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Clinical trials
• Wound healing physiology

Background:

• Open-label placebos involve patients knowing they are taking a placebo.
• Previous research indicates open-label placebos can improve patient-reported symptoms.
• The effect of open-label placebos on objective physiological outcomes, such as wound healing, remains largely untested.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if open-label placebos enhance wound healing rates.
• To compare wound healing in participants receiving open-label placebos versus a no-treatment control group.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 70 participants.
• Participants received a 4 mm punch biopsy wound.
• Intervention groups included open-label placebo tablets (twice daily for 10 days) or no treatment.
• Wound reepithelialization was assessed via photography at 7 and 10 days.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in wound healing percentage was found between the open-label placebo and control groups at 7 or 10 days.
• At 7 days, 7/32 placebo wounds and 10/33 control wounds were fully reepithelialized.
• At 10 days, 17/32 placebo wounds and 25/33 control wounds were fully reepithelialized.

Conclusions:

• Open-label placebo treatment did not accelerate the rate of wound healing.
• Findings suggest open-label placebos may benefit subjective outcomes but do not impact objective physiological processes like wound repair.