The Placebo Effect

A placebo is a treatment with no active ingredient, such as a sugar pill.

安慰劑是一種不含有效成分的治療方式，例如糖錠。

Remarkably, patients who take one often report genuine improvements in their symptoms.

值得注意的是，服用安慰劑的患者常表示症狀確實有所改善。

Researchers believe that expectation plays a central role in this phenomenon.

研究人員認為，預期心理在這個現象中扮演核心角色。

When we anticipate relief, the brain can release chemicals that reduce pain.

當我們期待症狀緩解時，大腦會釋放出減輕疼痛的化學物質。

The effect appears to be strongest for conditions influenced by stress and perception.

這種效應似乎對受壓力和感知影響的病症最為明顯。

Even the colour and price of a pill can alter how effective people believe it to be.

就連藥丸的顏色和價格，也會改變人們對其療效的看法。

Some studies suggest placebos work even when patients know they are taking one.

一些研究顯示，即使患者知道自己服用的是安慰劑，它仍然有效。

This raises difficult ethical questions about honesty in medical practice.

這引發了有關醫療實務中誠實問題的棘手倫理問題。

Nevertheless, understanding placebos helps scientists design more reliable clinical trials.

儘管如此，了解安慰劑有助於科學家設計出更可靠的臨床試驗。