Ever hurt yourself as a child and had someone kiss it better? Did it work?

If so, you experienced the placebo effect. The kiss didn't actually do anything, but because you believed it did, it made
you feel better. While this might be great for moms and dads, it's not so great for doctors. Because when we're trying to
test a _____________
potential new ___________
drug in a clinical study, the placebo effect can ________our
claw _____________.
result It
happens like this. cloud

effect of an investigational drug, we may give one group of people the investigational drug and
To ________ the_________
study
another a placebo. They won't know which. Both look the same and are ____________
taken in the ___________
same
__________, but the placebo contains no ________________
active ___________. So in theory, any differences seen
way drug
between the two groups should happen as a ________
direct ________
result of taking the investigational drug.

But it doesn't quite work that way. Because people want to get
full
better so badly, they can actually _________ themselves
__________ they
thinking __________ are taking the investigational drug
and that it definitely works. This can result in people feeling
better, despite being in the placebo group. It can also
______________
amplify effect
any ___________seen in the investigational
drug group. That is, their high expectations of the investigational
drug can make it seem like the investigational drug is working
better than it actually is.

idea and
This sounds great, but the problem is that these results are false. They ________study doctors the wrong ______,
give
this could lead to people being ______
given ____________that
treatment don't work in the way we expect. We can do our bit to
_____________
minimize the ________
risk of the placebo effect, but we rely on you doing your bit too.

For example, it can be_____________ to tell other study participants about how you are feeling, but it's really important
tempting
not to do this, because it could __________ the ____________ of the _____________.
change outcome study
influence how you feel. And if you are
Why? Well, because telling someone that you feel better or worse, could___________

sindy
talking to another _________ participant
__________, it could influence how they feel too, even if they are taking a placebo.

technical medical
_____________
get them right.
study
______________ are at the heart of all _________ ______________,
advances and so it's very important we

standard
New treatments under study may be better than ______________ _________________
Treatment or they may be worse. And
so even if you are taking the investigational drug, there is _______________ ___________________ you will get
no
guarantee
find
better. That's why we have clinical studies after all, to ____________ _________________.
out

Thank you.