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The placebo effect is a widely recognized phenomenon. However, the mechanisms that engender the placebo effect are unclear. In this trial, investigators sought to determine whether the placebo effect can be broken down into three components — responses to clinician assessment and observation, placebo treatment, and a supportive clinician–patient relationship — and whether combining these components enhances clinical improvement. Specifically, 262 adults with irritable bowel syndrome were randomized to clinical assessment and observation only, placebo acupuncture only, or placebo acupuncture “augmented” by supportive clinician–patient relationships that were characterized by “warmth, attention, and confidence.”
At 3 weeks, the percentages of …