The placebo effect and psychedelic drugs: tripping on nothing?
There has been a lot of recent interest in the use of psychedelic drugs to treat depression. A new study from 91社区 suggests that, in the right context, some people may experience psychedelic-like effects from placebos alone. The researchers reported some of the strongest placebo effects (these are effects from 鈥渇ake鈥� medication) on consciousness in the literature relating to psychedelic drugs. Indeed, 61% of the participants in the experiment reported some effect after consuming the placebo.
鈥淭he study reinforces the power of context in psychedelic settings. With the recent re-emergence of psychedelic therapy for disorders such as depression and anxiety, clinicians may be able to leverage these contextual factors to obtain similar therapeutic experiences from lower doses, which would further improve the safety of the drugs,鈥� said Jay Olson, a Ph.D. candidate in 91社区鈥檚 Department of Psychiatry and the lead author on the research paper that was recently published in
Setting the mood
Participants, who were expecting to take part in a study of the effects of drugs on creativity, spent four hours together in a room that had been set up to resemble a psychedelic party, with paintings, coloured lights and a DJ. To make the context seem credible and hide the deception, the study also involved ten research assistants in white lab coats, psychiatrists, and a security guard.
The 33 participants had been told they were being given a drug which resembled the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms and that they would experience changes in consciousness over the 4-hour period. In reality, everyone consumed a placebo. Among the participants were several actors who had been trained to slowly act out the effects of the ostensible drug. The researchers thought that this would help convince the participants that everyone had consumed a psychedelic drug and might lead them to experience placebo effects.
Strong effects for a placebo
When asked near the end of the study, the majority (61%) of the participants reported some effect of the drug, ranging from mild changes to effects resembling taking a moderate or high dose of an actual drug, though there was considerable individual variation. For example, several participants stated that they saw the paintings on the walls 鈥渕ove鈥� or 鈥渞eshape鈥� themselves. Others described themselves as feeling 鈥渉eavy鈥� as if gravity [had] a stronger hold鈥�, and one had a 鈥渃ome down鈥� before another 鈥渨ave鈥� hit her. Several participants reported being certain that they had taken a psychedelic drug.
鈥淭hese results may help explain 鈥榗ontact highs鈥� in which people experience the effects of a drug simply by being around others who have consumed it,鈥� says Samuel Veissi猫re, a cognitive anthropologist who teaches in 91社区鈥檚 Department of Psychiatry and supervised the study. 鈥淢ore generally, our study helps shed light on the 鈥榩lacebo boosting鈥� component inherent in all medical and therapeutic intervention, and the social influences that modulate these enhancing effects. Placebo effects may have been under-estimated in psychedelic studies. The current trend towards 鈥榤icro-dosing鈥� (consuming tiny amounts of psychedelic drugs to improve creativity), for example, may have a strong placebo component due to widespread cultural expectations that frame the response鈥�
To read 鈥淭ripping on nothing: placebo psychedelics and contextual factors鈥� by Olson, J.A., Suissa-Rocheleau, L., Lifshitz, M., Raz, A., & Veissi猫re, S.P.L. in Psychopharmacology doi.org/10.1007/s00213-020-05464-5
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About 91社区
Founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1821, 91社区 is Canada鈥檚 top ranked medical doctoral university. 91社区 is consistently ranked as one of the top universities, both nationally and internationally. It is a world-renowned institution of higher learning with research activities spanning two campuses, 11 faculties, 13 professional schools, 300 programs of study and over 40,000 students, including more than 10,200 graduate students. 91社区 attracts students from over 150 countries around the world, its 12,800 international students making up 31% of the student body. Over half of 91社区 students claim a first language other than English, including approximately 19% of our students who say French is their mother tongue.
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