placebo

Any harmless substance, often called a ‘sugar pill’, that has no active ingredient, but may nevertheless bring about improvement in the patient's condition.

The use of placebos in medicine is limited to drug trials, where a placebo is given alongside the substance being tested,to compare effects. The ‘placebo effect’, first named in 1945, demonstrates the control mind exerts over matter, bringing changes in blood pressure, perceived pain, and rates of healing. Recent research points to the release of certain neurotransmitters and endorphins in the production of the placebo effect.