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Related Concept Videos

Blinding01:11

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Blinding is a commonly used method of not telling participants which treatment a subject is receiving. Blinding is a critical part of a randomized control trial or RCT. It reduces the bias that affects the results. In an RCT, blinding is used in the form of a placebo. A placebo effect occurs when untreated subjects falsely believe they have received the treatment and report improved symptoms. A placebo or a dummy treatment is administered to subjects to negate the bias caused by such an effect.
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Blind Procedures02:07

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Ideally, the people who observe and record the children’s behavior are unaware of who was assigned to the experimental or control group, in order to control for experimenter bias. Experimenter bias refers to the possibility that a researcher’s expectations might skew the results of the study. Remember, conducting an experiment requires a lot of planning, and the people involved in the research project have a vested interest in supporting their hypotheses. If the observers knew which...
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The placebo effect occurs when people's expectations or beliefs influence or determine their experience in a given situation. In other words, simply expecting something to happen can actually make it happen.
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CNS Stimulants: Psychedelic Agents01:22

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Hallucinogens, also known as psychedelic drugs, are a class of substances known for their ability to alter perception, cognition, and emotions. Despite their profound effects on the mind, these drugs are non-addictive, setting them apart from many other abused substances. The mechanism of action of these drugs lies in their impact on the 5-HT2A receptor in the brain. Upon activation, this receptor couples to Gq-type G proteins, triggering a cascade that releases intracellular calcium. This...
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Hallucinogens are psychoactive substances that profoundly alter perceptual experiences, generating unreal visual and sensory images. Often referred to as psychedelic drugs — a term derived from the Greek words "psyche" (mind) and "delos" (revealing) — these substances include marijuana and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), among others. These drugs vary in intensity and effects.
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Altered states of consciousness represent significant deviations from one's normal mental state. These deviations can range from subtle changes in awareness to profound transformations in perception, thought processes, and sensory experiences. Altered states of consciousness can be triggered by various factors, including drug use, meditation, hypnosis, illness, or even intense fatigue.
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Updated: May 16, 2025

How to Study Placebo Responses in Motion Sickness with a Rotation Chair Paradigm in Healthy Participants
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Addressing blinding in classic psychedelic studies with innovative active placebos.

Jacob S Aday1, Otto Simonsson2, Emmanuelle A D Schindler3,4

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.

The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
|April 4, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Classic psychedelics show therapeutic potential for neuropsychiatric disorders. Developing better active placebos is crucial for robust clinical trials to ensure reliable results for these promising treatments.

Keywords:
active placebosblindingcontrol conditionspsychedelicsreview

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Area of Science:

  • Psychopharmacology
  • Clinical Neuroscience

Background:

  • Classic psychedelics demonstrate therapeutic promise for neuropsychiatric disorders.
  • Current placebo controls in psychedelic trials often suffer from weak blinding integrity.
  • This compromises the interpretability of observed therapeutic effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Critique existing placebo conditions in classic psychedelic research.
  • Establish criteria for effective active placebos.
  • Identify potential active placebo candidates for future studies.

Main Methods:

  • Reviewed literature on placebo use in psychedelic trials.
  • Defined characteristics of ideal active placebos: psychoactive/physiological effects, onset/duration, safety, and lack of therapeutic action.
  • Screened pharmacological agents as potential active placebos.

Main Results:

  • Identified limitations of current placebo strategies in psychedelic research.
  • Proposed a framework for selecting appropriate active placebos.
  • Highlighted several pharmacological agents with potential as active placebos for various psychedelic administration protocols.

Conclusions:

  • Rigorous selection of active placebos is essential for accurate assessment of psychedelic efficacy.
  • Future research must employ thoughtful placebo selection and blinding strategies.
  • Improved blinding is necessary to validate classic psychedelics as therapeutics.