Placebo-controlled trial

A placebo-controlled trial is a scientific study used to test how effective a new treatment or medication is. Participants are randomly assigned to two groups: one receives the actual treatment, and the other gets a placebo, which looks like the treatment but has no active ingredients. This setup helps researchers determine if the real treatment works better than no treatment at all, while minimizing biased results. The comparison ensures that any improvements are due to the treatment itself and not psychological factors or chance. These trials are essential for establishing the safety and effectiveness of new medical interventions.