PLACEBO POWER

Begley NEWSWEEK (2009) 6/1

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Since 1978, there has been a concerted effort to analyze placebos. They appear to work over the short run and they have many effects not just a singular one.

The latest is the use of nearly 700 adults who were divided into the usual division of real treatment versus bogus treatment. In this instance, it was acupuncture. One group got the real acupuncture treatment. A second was given a sham treatment in which acupuncture like apparatus was filled with toothpicks. The last was an anti-inflammatory drug.

On average the sham acupuncture delivered as much pain relief as the real acupuncture and both of these treatments nearly doubled the reduce pain of the real anti-inflammatory meds.

Wait a minute. The sham acupuncture did just as well as the real acupuncture?

In another instance a real pain med was given and a placebo was given in a double blind

study. In one the placebo was small and was told the cost was about 10 cents per pill.

In the second, a real pain med was given and the placebo was a large capsule that the patient was told cost $2.50. The more expensive pill did much better against the real thing.

Placebo can even lower or help transplant rejection. The studies continue because researchers believe that the placebo is real trigger to natural opoids.

WHAT IS A FRIEND WORTH?

BAKER/ BUSINESS WEEK (2009) 6/1

Doing various cluster analysis statistical strategies (factor analysis) to see which groups an individual is connected to and which are isolates; researchers can count on certain advertisements that will reach the most lucrative accounts. This information is then placed on large software created chart that indicates the various clusters and the stars

who are in touch with numerous people. Networks emerge like socio-grams and the intensity can also be measured.

The counts indicate about 3 groups. They are a) just barely in touch b) one way relationships and c) closest friends. It is that third group that may tell which products to aim at or target groups.