Although placebos have played a critical role in medicine and clinical research for more than 70 years, it has been a mystery why these inactive treatments help to alleviate symptoms in some patients and not others. Now researchers have for the first time identified genetic differences between placebo responders and non-responders, providing an important new clue to the placebo effect. Led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, the new findings demonstrate that genetic differences that account for variations in the brain's dopamine levels help to determine the extent of a person's placebo response. Read more here.
Study mentioned: Hall KT, et al. Catechol-O-methyltransferase val158met polymorphism predicts placebo effect in irritable bowel syndrome. PLoS One. 2012;7(10):e48135. PMID: 23110189
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