Significance of Placebo control
Placebo control is a research method used in clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of active treatments by comparing them to groups receiving non-active treatments. This might involve using commercial toothpaste, distilled water, or sham treatments, which have no therapeutic effect. The goal is to eliminate the psychological influence that participants may have regarding treatment effects, ensuring that any observed results are genuinely attributable to the experimental drug's efficacy rather than participants' expectations or beliefs.
Synonyms: Sham control, Placebo group, Control group, -"
The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.
The concept of Placebo control in scientific sources
Placebo control is a vital method in clinical trials that involves using a sham treatment group, helping to distinguish the genuine efficacy of a drug from psychological effects, ensuring reliable and valid results.
From: South African Journal of Physiotherapy
(1) This is often more likely to produce a scientifically reliable result when establishing the effectiveness and safety of an investigational intervention, and is frequently used in randomized trials.[1]
From: South African Journal of Psychiatry
(1) The use of an inert content as a control in clinical trials, which is how placebo has been defined until recently in efficacy studies.[2]
From: International Journal of Pharmacology
(1) The study's purpose was to observe the effects of a three-month course of 20 mg doxycycline against a placebo control on the periodontal condition during the maintenance phase.[3]