title: Science of the Placebo: Toward an Interdisciplinanary Research Agenda
author: Harry Guess
description: Do placebos work? For many conditions, you bet they do! Maybe insome people most of the time; maybe even in all people some of thetime. Those are among the conclusions that experts drew from acomprehensive review of placebo effects that took place at theNational Institutes of Health. The meeting, designed to bring basicbiomedical and behavioral scientists together with clinicians andclinical trial experts, developed an expanded concept of theplacebo, explored a variety of explanatory mechanisms of whyplacebos work when they work, and discussed the pros and cons ofusing placebos in clinical trials. The experts went on to develop aresearch agenda to further progress in the field. <br />
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  ## **Praise for**
  
  
  ![image](images/logo.jpg)
  
  
  _“You Are the Placebo is the instruction manual for how to produce miracles in
  your body, with your health, and in your life. It’s simply magnificent. This
  may be the only prescription you’ll ever require.”_
  
  
  **— Christiane Northrup, M.D.,**  
   _New York Times_ best-selling author of _Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom_ and
  _The Wisdom of Menopause_
  
  
  _“Your mind is so incredibly important to the success or failure of virtually
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  important resource and offers many practical tools to optimize your mind to
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  **— Daniel G. Amen, M.D.,**  
  founder of Amen Clinics and _New York Times_ best-selling author of _Change
  Your Brain, Change Your Life_ and