3 ms·
With the placebo being so strong, sample size of 9 is too small for any conclusion.
by nikolay 7y ago
With the placebo being so strong, sample size of 9 is too small for any conclusion.
- James_Henry 7y agoDo you know how strong the placebo works on Horvath's epigenetic clock? I don't think that research has been done, but it will be soon I am sure and it will be incredibly interesting to find out. Even without knowing that though, I'm surprised, and so is Horvath himself, that they found a full-on reversal of the clock. I don't think anyone was expecting that. I'm betting we won't see that kind of reversal in a future placebo group, though if we do I'm going to be getting myself some good placebo!
- nikolay 7y agoThe placebo itself is magical enough so it could be extended to pretty much anything and that's why quality studies are done certain way. If can understand the placebo, then and only then we can then explain what it could do and it can't do.
- James_Henry 7y agoThis is false. We can explain a lot without a placebo comparison. Also, the placebo isn't magic, we just haven't studied exactly what it is. It clearly does have limitations: look at all the studies where the placebo only does so much!
- nikolay 7y agoWe have studied it and there are some hypotheses, but that's it.
- ALittleLight 7y agoThe article mentions the effects persisted even a year after treatment. That's far beyond the placebo effect for anything I'm aware of.
- nikolay 7y agoThe placebo effect can definitely extend beyond the end of the trial.
- James_Henry 7y agoSure, but we know how it often acts in trials.