Placebo Effects on Blood Pressure

Summary

A relevant reduction of blood pressure (BP) in placebo-treated control groups is a phenomenon often observed in pharmacological studies of hypertension. This effect was shown to differ from spontaneous remission tendencies and regression to the mean effect by comparing placebo groups with untreated controls. However, it is not fully understood whether these effects are due to a global reaction of the autonomous nervous system (affecting the overall organ systems of the body) or a specific reaction (affecting the cardiovascular system only). We therefore aim to differentiate specific effects (reduction of blood pressure) from global effects (e.g. changes in electrodermal and gastric activity).

In our study we aim to test the following hypotheses:

1. Placebo administration leads to a significant changes of blood pressure compared with untreated controls.
2. The direction of blood pressure change depends on the type of suggestion (either decrease or increase)
3. This effect is specific for blood pressure; changes in electrodermal and gastric activity do not differ between groups.
4. The placebo response can be enhanced by a prestige intervention (information about the suggested drug action given by doctor or in written form).

Conditions

• Blood Pressure

Interventions

OTHER

Placebo with BP dec (written form)

Placebo administration with a blood pressure decrease suggestion. Information provided to subjects in written form.

OTHER

Placebo with BP dec (doctor)

Placebo administration with a blood pressure decrease suggestion. Information provided to subjects by doctor.

OTHER

Placebo with BP inc (written)

Placebo administration with a blood pressure increase suggestion. Information provided to subjects in written form.

OTHER

Placebo with BP inc (doctor)

Placebo administration with a blood pressure increase suggestion. Information provided to subjects by doctor.

OTHER

Placebo info given (written)

Subject informed about receiving placebo. Information provided to subjects in written form.

OTHER

Placebo info given (doc)

Subject informed about receiving placebo. Information provided to subjects by doctor.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Charite University, Berlin, Germany

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Hans-Christian Deter, MD · Charité University Berlin

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

35 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2007-04-30

Completion

2008-02-29

Countries

• Germany

Study Locations