Placebo & NoceboEvidence & Dosage
Expectation effects, blinding, study design — why a subjective effect ≠ efficacy.
Evidence at a glance
- Total studies
- 643
- With abstract
- 44
- Meta / Systematic / RCT
- 1
- Highly cited
- 2
- Publication years
- 1987–2026
Placebo & Nocebo in the context of Vitamins & Minerals
This topic is part of our "Vitamins & Minerals" world. There you'll find methodology, evidence and the highest-impact levers — plus the order in which they sensibly build on each other.
Go to Vitamins & MineralsTop studies on Placebo & Nocebo
Ranked by influential-citation count and publication year.
A comparison of placebo effects in clinical analgesic trials versus studies of placebo analgesia.
Pain200293 influential citationsA previous meta-analysis of clinical analgesic trial studies showed generally low magnitudes of placebo analgesia (N. Engl. J. Med. 344 (2001) 1594). However, as studies included in their analysis used only placebo as a control condition,…
Lamotrigine reduces painful diabetic neuropathy: a randomized, controlled study.
Neurology2001n=5971 influential citations<h4>Objective</h4>To study the efficacy of lamotrigine in relieving the pain associated with diabetic neuropathy.<h4>Methods</h4>The authors randomly assigned 59 patients to receive either lamotrigine (titrated from 25 to 400 mg/day) or…
I do not feel your pain: Exploring the impact of state empathy on placebo and nocebo effects evoked by observational learning.
The journal of pain2025n=1803 influential citationsObservational learning (OBL) can elicit placebo hypoalgesia or nocebo hyperalgesia if pain relief or exacerbation is observed after placebo administration. While dispositional empathy has occasionally been associated with increased placebo…
Placebo Rates in Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatohepatitis Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology20262 influential citations<h4>Background & aims</h4>High placebo response rates complicate drug development in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) clinical trials. We performed a meta-analysis to quantify placebo response and assess influencing…
Alliance A222001: Oxybutynin Versus Placebo for the Treatment of Hot Flashes in Patients Receiving Androgen-Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
Journal of Clinical Oncology2026n=812 influential citationsPURPOSE Hot flashes are a common side effect reported by men receiving androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) for the treatment of prostate cancer. We sought to determine whether oxybutynin could improve hot flash symptoms in men with prostate…
Efficacy and safety of adjunctive treatment with the fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor JNJ-42165279 in participants with major depressive disorder with anxious distress: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised study
European Neuropsychopharmacology20262 influential citationsJNJ-42165279 is a potent, selective inhibitor of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the enzyme responsible for degradation of the endocannabinoid N-arachidonoylethanolamide (anandamide), which plays a role in regulation of fear and anxiety…
Nocebo effects are stronger and more persistent than placebo effects in healthy individuals.
eLife2025n=104E2 influential citationsPlacebo and nocebo effects illustrate the profound influence of cognitive-affective processes on symptom perception and treatment outcomes, with the potential to significantly alter responses to medical interventions. Despite their…
Placebo and nocebo phenomena in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a narrative review on current knowledge and potential future directions.
Psychological medicine20252 influential citationsThe experience of psychosis in schizophrenia spectrum disorders involves significant distress and functional impairment, contributing to immense social and economic costs. Current gold standard treatment guidelines emphasize the use of…
The role of observational learning in the formation of placebo and nocebo effects.
Handbook of clinical neurology2025D2 influential citationsPlacebo and nocebo effects are learning phenomena that can be induced not only through direct experience (e.g., classical and operant conditioning) or information (e.g., verbal suggestions), but also through indirect experience via…
Effects of likelihood framing on side effect expectations and nocebo side effects: Results from three experimental studies with a placebo analgesic cream.
British journal of health psychology2026n=244E1 influential citationsThis research examined whether different framings of the likelihood of side effects influence their occurrence in response to a placebo analgesic. Three independent experimental studies in non-clinical samples were performed. Study 1…
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