Placebo-controlled clinical trials

A placebo-controlled clinical trial is a study where some participants receive the actual treatment, while others receive an inactive substance called a placebo, which looks like the real treatment but has no effect. This setup helps researchers determine whether the treatment truly works or if improvements are due to the placebo effect—where people feel better simply because they believe they are receiving treatment. By comparing outcomes between the two groups, scientists can assess the treatment’s true effectiveness and ensure that results are reliable and unbiased.