English Original
The placebo effect refers to the phenomenon where a patient experiences a perceived improvement in their condition after receiving a treatment that is inactive or has no specific therapeutic effect, simply because they believe the treatment will work. This psychological and physiological response remains a subject of ongoing scientific investigation.
An Intriguing Phenomenon
In clinical trials, patients given a placebo (like a sugar pill or saline injection) often report symptom relief comparable to those receiving an active drug. For instance, in pain studies, groups receiving a placebo, a real analgesic, acupuncture, or sham acupuncture sometimes show similar levels of pain reduction.
The Biochemical Angle
Research suggests the effect may have a biochemical basis. In one experiment, morphine effectively controlled pain in subjects over several days. On the final day, saline replaced the morphine, and it still inhibited pain. However, when an opioid antagonist (naloxone) was added to the saline, its pain-relieving effect vanished. This implies the body may release its own pain-relieving chemicals (like endorphins) in response to the expectation of treatment.
Mechanism and Scope
The exact mechanisms are complex and not fully understood. It may involve conditioned responses, expectation, and the brain's influence on bodily processes. The placebo effect has been observed in conditions ranging from pain and depression to Parkinson's disease symptoms. Its strength can be influenced by the treatment's presentation (e.g., an injection often works better than a pill).
Placebo in Psychotherapy and Life
In psychotherapy, the belief in the efficacy of a treatment can itself be a powerful agent of change. In everyday life, the placebo effect manifests when our expectations shape our perception, such as believing water tastes better from a scenic mountain spring when it's actually from a tap.
中文翻译
安慰剂效应指的是患者在接受无效或无特定疗效的治疗后，仅仅因为他们相信治疗会有效，从而感觉到病情有所改善的现象。这种心理和生理反应仍然是持续的科学研究的主题。
一个有趣的现象
在临床试验中，服用安慰剂（如糖丸或生理盐水注射）的患者常常报告的症状缓解程度与接受有效药物的患者相当。例如，在疼痛研究中，接受安慰剂、真正镇痛药、针灸或假针灸的组别有时显示出相似程度的疼痛减轻。
生化角度
研究表明该效应可能有生化基础。在一项实验中，吗啡在几天内有效控制了受试者的疼痛。最后一天，用生理盐水代替吗啡，它仍然能抑制疼痛。然而，当一种阿片类拮抗剂（纳洛酮）被加入生理盐水后，其止痛效果就消失了。这意味着身体可能会因对治疗的期待而释放自身的止痛化学物质（如内啡肽）。
机制与范围
其确切机制复杂且尚未完全明了。可能涉及条件反射、期望以及大脑对身体过程的影响。在从疼痛、抑郁到帕金森病症状等多种状况中都观察到了安慰剂效应。其强度可能受治疗呈现方式的影响（例如，注射通常比药丸效果更好）。
心理治疗与生活中的安慰剂效应
在心理治疗中，对疗法效能的信念本身就可以成为强大的改变媒介。在日常生活中，当我们的期望塑造了我们的感知时，安慰剂效应就会出现，例如相信来自风景优美的山泉的水更好喝，而实际上它来自水龙头。