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Massive, massive potential for the placebo effect. This needs to be tested in a randomised double blind trial with standardised testing of the purported cogniti
by Gatsky 12y ago
Massive, massive potential for the placebo effect. This needs to be tested in a randomised double blind trial with standardised testing of the purported cognitive enhancements. Until then it's snake oil.
- steego 12y agoI remember reading in one of Dan Ariely's book that spending more on placebos makes them more effective. (He typically tested people by giving them word scrambles or similar tasks). Remember kids, if you want a really good placebo experience, buy the good shit.
- rictic 12y agoOther fun placebo effects: red pills work better than blue pills. All pills work better if given to you by a doctor. Better still if the doctor is wearing a white coat. Yet better is the doctor uses a large peace of medical machinery as part of the intervention. And yet a bit better on top if the machine beeps. Basically, for best results you want to receive your medicine as the Star Patient in a Very Important Looking Medical Drama right at the moment where Everything Starts Getting Better.
- TazeTSchnitzel 12y agoHmm. If you have to fill in lots of scary-looking prescription forms, would that also enhance the experience?
- shard 12y agoAt first each change seems plausible, then it starts veering off into absurdity. I can't quite tell if this is satire or not. Do you have a link to share for these effects?
- jobu 12y agoThere's a bit of science and chemistry involved, but most of the info about these nootropic supplements is simply anecdotes. The problem with studying these supplements is not everyone reacts the same way to them and things like diet and sleep tend to have a dramatic effect on what works and how well.
- kingkawn 12y agoOn the scale of the individual it doesn't make much difference if the impact is via placebo or not. To extrapolate from the experience would be unwise. Yet for any one person to live only through population-wide statistical significance robs that person's life of the joy of figuring out what works, even if sometimes it only works for them.
- adrr 12y agoSome of them do have double blind studies like piracetam(mentioned in the article) related to cognitive decline not improvement. http://examine.com/supplements/Piracetam/ http://examine.com/supplements/Piracetam/
- TazeTSchnitzel 12y agoI was thinking the same thing. For the actual new drugs, I expect they probably do something (and quite possibly something very dangerous). But for the caffeine and herbs... how do we know it's not just the same as a normal large dose of caffeine? Edit: Ooh. Apparently bacopa has real effects shown in double-blind RCTs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootropic#Availability_and_prevalence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootropic#Availability_and_pre...
- letstryagain 12y agoVery true, although in this specific case I would not mind taking a placebo if the side effects are low and the placebo effect is good.