The Power of the Placebo

Description

Placebos come in all shapes and sizes and have been shown to help treat pain, depression, and alleviate some of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. In this film, Horizon meets the scientists who are trying to find out why they work. From the man who performed fake operations to alleviate back pain to the scientist studying the effect of fake oxygen on physical performance, placebos have been shown to cause real and measurable physiological changes. A brain scan reveals that a placebo can encourage our bodies to release the naturally occurring pain killers in our brains. Tests show that the shape, size, and even the color of a placebo can all have an impact on its effectiveness. So what happens if we know it's a placebo? Surprisingly, it still seems to work.

Runtime

53 min

Subjects

Genre

Date of Publication

[2014], c2014

Database

Films on Demand

Direct Link

Similar Films

The myth of the unisex brain
Placebo. Part 1
Neuroscience. The cutting edge of counselling's future
PBS NewsHour
Science. New visions in neuroscience
Brain basics
The brain with David Eagleman. What is reality? Episode 1
The divided brain
The brain with David Eagleman. Who is in control? Episode 3
Science club. Brain. Series 1, episode 5
Who Are We? A History of Brain Science
Human brain development. Nature and nurture
Dr. Bessel A. van der Kolk's 24th annual international trauma conference
Horizon. Can my brain cure my body? The placebo experiment
The brain with David Eagleman. How do I decide? Episode 4