News for week ending 7 June 2002

DUMMY PILLS DO THE TRICK

Depressed patients tricked into thinking they are being treated have undergone healing brain changes similar to those produced by Prozac, scientists have found.

The discovery is conclusive proof of the power of the "placebo effect" - the mind-over-body influence of believing that a drug will work.

Patients in a study by the University of Texas, were given a dummy pill containing no active ingredients experienced brain changes remarkably like those induced by Prozac.

Of the 15 patients who completed the six-week study, eight showed improvement in their symptoms, half of whom had received the placebo.

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