Choose the name-brand placebo over the generic placebo

The New York Times is reporting that placebos which cost $2.50 are more effective than the $0.10 version. Yes, this is ridiculous but important at the same time.

Especially in psychiatric studies, the placebo effect shows her head time and time again.

What does this mean for research studies? We should never discredit, or over credit, the role of a placebo. Is it appropriate? It is harmful when proven treatments exist?

I will write more about this topic later and please do not mistake the length of this post as indicative of the complexity of the issue. I could never write enough about placebos in research.

What is Greater than Minimal Risk?

Greater than minimal risk is a term commonly uttered in the Institutional Review Board (IRB)world.

45 CFR 46.102(i):

Minimal risk means that the probability and magnitude of harm or discomfort anticipated in the research are not greater in and of themselves than those ordinarily encountered in daily life or during the performance of routine physical or psychological examinations or tests.

The tricky part of this definition is what is considered "routine." What is routine for one person--a cancer patient, for example--may not be the same as a healthy individual with no illnesses. Or suppose someone is bipolar or schizophrenic. Her routine tests may be quite unroutine for others even if they are the same exact procedure.

What appears to be a simple definition can actually be something quite complicated.