Placebo effects in functional dyspepsia: Causes and implications for clinical trials

Placebo responses to an apparently inactive intervention are of interest from a scientific perspective as they suggest possible mechanism(s) at work beyond the intervention itself. They are also of interest from a clinical trials perspective since high rates of placebo response limit the potential to demonstrate worthwhile efficacy of a new intervention. This mini-review was motivated by the work of Bosman and colleagues(Neurogastroenterol Motil, 2022, and e14474) that is published in this issue of the journal in which they report on a systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo response in functional dyspepsia clinical trials. The review sets the scene for their work by putting it in the context of other disorders of brain-gut interaction and extra-gastrointestinal disorders. The review canvasses potential mechanisms of placebo response.