The persistence of the placebo response in antidepressant clinical trials

Abstract Our objective was to assess the persistence of the placebo response during at least 12 weeks of continued placebo administration in depressed patients who have responded to 6–8 weeks of acute placebo treatment. We identified 8 placebo-controlled antidepressant trials with a total of 3063 de...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of psychiatric research 2008-08, Vol.42 (10), p.791-796
Main Authors: Khan, Arif, Redding, Nick, Brown, Walter A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antidepressants
Antidepressive Agents - therapeutic use
Biological and medical sciences
Clinical trial methods
Depression
Depressive Disorder - drug therapy
Depressive Disorder - psychology
Double-blind long-term efficacy
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Long-Term Care
Medical sciences
Neuropharmacology
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Placebo
Placebo Effect
Placebo response
Psychiatry
Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer
Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease)
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopharmacology
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Relapse rates
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:Abstract Our objective was to assess the persistence of the placebo response during at least 12 weeks of continued placebo administration in depressed patients who have responded to 6–8 weeks of acute placebo treatment. We identified 8 placebo-controlled antidepressant trials with a total of 3063 depressed patients in which, after acute phase placebo treatment, placebo was continued for more than 12 weeks. The number of patients entering the continuation phase and percentages relapsing during this phase were determined. Based on the total number of patients entering the continuation phase 79% of placebo responders remained well (did not meet relapse criteria) during this phase compared to 93% of antidepressant responders. Although significantly more patients on placebo than on antidepressants relapsed in the continuation phase, 4 out of 5 placebo responders stayed well. The widely held belief that the placebo response in depression is short-lived appears to be based largely on intuition and perhaps wishful thinking.
ISSN:0022-3956
1879-1379
DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2007.10.004