Effect of placebo acupuncture over no-treatment: A simple model incorporating the placebo and nocebo effects. (February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Koog, Yun Hyung
• Is Part Of: Complementary therapies in medicine. Volume 24(2016)
• Page Start: 69
• Page End: 72
• Publication Date: 2016-02
• Subjects: Placebo acupuncture -- Placebo effect -- Nocebo effect -- Additive model; Alternative medicine -- Periodicals; Complementary Therapies -- Periodicals; Médecines parallèles -- Périodiques; Thérapeutique -- Périodiques; Alternative medicine; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 615.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2015.12.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0965-2299

Abstract

Highlights: Acupuncture was found to be associated with the placebo and nocebo effects, which necessitates mathematical models incorporating these two effects. The simple model shows that both the placebo and nocebo effects play important roles in determining the effect of placebo acupuncture over no-treatment. The simple model also shows that the efficacy of acupuncture is not only reduced by the placebo effect but also exaggerated by the nocebo effect. Abstract: Conventionally in controlled trials of drugs or modalities, the placebo and nocebo effects have been determined separately and understood to be the difference between the placebo and no-treatment groups. Recently, the effect of placebo acupuncture over no-treatment was found to be associated with the placebo and nocebo effects together. If these two effects are inseparable in acupuncture treatment, the conventional method of determining placebo and nocebo effects at the trial level will not reflect pure placebo or nocebo effects. Furthermore, if these effects are inseparable, observations about the efficacy of acupuncture will be biased when considering only the placebo effect. A simple mathematical model incorporating both the placebo and nocebo effects will be provided to see how the efficacy of acupuncture is affected.