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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 11, 2026

How to Study Placebo Responses in Motion Sickness with a Rotation Chair Paradigm in Healthy Participants
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Harnessing the Placebo Effect in Clinical Practice.

John M Kelley1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Endicott College, 376 Hale Street, Beverly, MA 01915, USA; Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA.

Neurologic Clinics
|November 13, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Ethically harnessing the placebo effect in clinical practice can improve patient outcomes. Informing patients about nocebo effects is the most feasible strategy for routine use, enhancing therapeutic relationships and treatment efficacy.

Keywords:
Authorized concealmentClinical practiceContext effectOpen-label placeboPatient–clinician relationshipPlacebo effectPlacebo-related effectTherapeutic relationship

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Area of Science:

  • Clinical Psychology
  • Medical Ethics
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • The placebo effect significantly influences treatment outcomes.
  • Ethical considerations are paramount when utilizing placebo interventions.
  • Patient expectations and the therapeutic relationship are key modulators.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore ethical strategies for harnessing the placebo effect in clinical practice.
  • To identify actionable methods for enhancing patient care through placebo mechanisms.
  • To assess the feasibility and implications of various placebo-based approaches.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on placebo and nocebo effects.
  • Discussion of five distinct strategies: clinician-patient interaction, open-label placebo, conditioned open-label placebo, personalized "n-of-1" trials, and nocebo effect education.
  • Analysis of barriers and facilitators for clinical implementation.

Main Results:

  • Evidence supports the efficacy of multiple placebo-harnessing strategies.
  • Informing patients about nocebo effects presents the fewest barriers to routine clinical adoption.
  • Other strategies like open-label placebo and personalized trials show promise but face implementation challenges.

Conclusions:

  • Ethical application of placebo mechanisms can augment conventional treatments.
  • Systemic support from healthcare institutions and pharmaceutical companies is crucial for broader adoption.
  • Educating patients on nocebo effects offers a practical, ethical first step towards leveraging placebo responses.