Study: Raising cost of placebo drug improves outcomes

How much patients perceive a placebo costs may impact how well it works in clinical trials, according to a new study published in the journal Neurology.

Researchers conducted a double-blind study with 12 patients with moderate to severe Parkinson's disease and motor fluctuations. The participants were broken up into groups that were told they'd be given a "cheap" or "expensive" drug to produce dopamine, a chemical many Parkinson's patients lack.

Instead, patients were actually given a saline solution before having their motor functions and brain activation assessed. Brain activation was assessed using a "feedback-based visual-motor associative learning functional MRI task."

The assessments showed both placebos improved motor function in the patients. That said, the improvements were greater among patients who were randomized into receiving the expensive placebo first, with its effectiveness measuring about halfway between that of cheap placebo and levodopa, an actual drug administered to Parkinson's patients.

One result that surprised researchers, however, was unveiled when they assessed the MRI results; brain activation was actually greater among patients who were given the cheap placebo than among those given the expensive placebo first or levodopa. The cheap placebo was the only one that increased activation in the brain. The expensive placebo decreased brain activation at a magnitude comparable to, although slightly less than, actual levodopa.

Leader of the study Alberto Espay, MD, suggested the jump in brain activity may be attributable to patients trying harder when they believe they have received a less costly drug, according to the Washington Post.

Ultimately, the study revealed how patients perceive drug costs can influence the placebo response in clinical studies.

 

 

More articles on costs:
5 costly healthcare megatrends
Medicare's Hospital Compare reports slow price increases for two procedures
Federal, privately insured will pay more out-of-pocket for specialty drugs: 5 findings



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