The placebo effect in asthma: Far more complex than simply “I shall please”

Abstract

Wise and co-investigators(1) have added to our understanding and appreciation of the complexity underlying the response to placebos in asthma. When readers now evaluate data in light of “a placebo response,” it should become insightful for them to consider many variables, i.e., the effects measured, the disease being assessed, and mode of presentation used in the trial, i.e., enhanced or neutral. Furthermore, studies evaluating placebo effects have also helped to indicate the potential involvement of brain circuitry in these responses, as well as treatment determinants. Placebo responses are complex, but an integral component of many clinical trials in asthma. To fully appreciate the impact of the placebo, aside from the “I shall please” action, it is now important to realize that a science underlies the placebo and to its response by a patient. The work of Wise and colleagues(1) has added to this information in a most meaningful way and has made us more appreciative of the response to placebos.