26 August 2009

You Get What You Expect?


Interesting article from Wired’s Steve Silberman on the apparently increasing placebo effect.  He concludes:
Ironically, Big Pharma’s attempt to dominate the central nervous system has ended up revealing how powerful the brain really is. The placebo response doesn’t care if the catalyst for healing is a triumph of pharmacology, a compassionate therapist, or a syringe of salt water. All it requires is a reasonable expectation of getting better. That’s potent medicine.
So think positive!