A placebo is a product without therapeutic action but that can have a positive impact on health.
Placebo is a noun with roots in a Latin verb that is used to refer to the substance that lacks therapeutic action by itself but that, in any case, produces a curative effect on the patient . This is possible since those who ingest it do so convinced that it has beneficial properties for their body.
The placebo can be used by doctors for control in clinical research , because it is an inert substance from a pharmacological point of view, which makes it possible to rule out cures that occur for unknown causes and that are not attributable to the therapy in question.
Types of placebo
In this sense, it is possible to distinguish between the placebo substance (the substance with the aforementioned characteristics that is supplied to the patient) and the placebo effect (the curative consequences involved in the supply of this type of substance).
The placebo effect, questioned by some scientists , is linked to suggestion and the development of dopamine (a neurotransmitter produced by humans that contributes to healing). For example: "Grandma doesn't know, but the pill she takes at night is a placebo, it doesn't produce any pharmacological action," "I don't want a placebo, doctor, I want some drug to relieve my pain."
Placebos are often used in treatments and trials.
The controversies
In some cases, the most appropriate way to answer a therapeutic question is to carry out a randomized clinical trial (also known as randomized), whose control is based on the use of a placebo. Many scientists have studied in depth the ethical plane of these practices , which often generate controversy, when applied to clinical neurology research, to understand whether it is a safe, reliable and, likewise, indispensable tool for medicine.
One of these studies on the ethical aspects that affect the use of placebo indicates that its impact reaches more than fifty percent of the usual recognition requirements for a clinical investigation to be considered acceptable at an ethical level : its scientific or social value, the validity against science, informed consent and the relationship that exists between the benefit and risk of any procedure.
It is worth mentioning that these requirements are not simple points to take into account, but rather they make up (along with the remaining three) the moral and ethical basis of scientific research ; For this reason, the controversy generated by the use of placebos considerably exceeds the field of preferences and methodologies.
Placebo treatment
Needless to say, the decisions involved in treatment with placebos are complex and must be based on the analysis of ambiguous and contradictory positions. Just as the list of potential harms is public knowledge, there are ethical foundations that support the design of a study of this type while ensuring that it respects the safety and rights of its participants.
There are those who claim that it is essential to recognize the advantages and benefits that conducting research with placebos offers society, despite the risks that they often entail; This approach assumes that scientists previously evaluate the potential effects and make their patients aware of them in detail.
Finally, it is important to remember that no one should experiment on animals ; Study subjects should always be adults who have given their consent.
The term in the music industry
Placebo , on the other hand, is an alternative rock band that formed in 1994 in London . Its members are Brian Molko , Stefan Olsdal and Steve Forrest , who replaced Steve Hewitt in 2007 .
"Placebo", «Without You I'm Nothing», «Black Market Music», «Sleeping with Ghosts», "Meds" y "Battle for the Sun" son los títulos de los discos que, hasta 2009, editó este cluster.