Placebo Effects: The Meaning of Care in Medicine

Pekka Louhiala is a lecturer in medical ethics at the University of Helsinki, Finland. He has degrees in both medicine and philosophy, and he also works as a part-time paediatrician in private practice. He has published on various topics in medical ethics, philosophy of medicine and epidemiology. His current academic interests include conceptual and philosophical issues in medicine, such as evidence-based medicine and placebo effects.

• 1 Introduction.- 2 History of the concepts.- 2.1. Placebo.- 2.2 Placebo effect.- 3 Placebo concept today.- 4 Placebo effects.- 4.1 Short overview on the physiological mechanisms.- 4.2 Short overview on the psychological mechanisms.- 4.3. Beyond pain: placebo effects everywhere.- 4.4. Ethical issues in research on placebo effects.- 5. New terminology - suggestions and problems.- 6 Clinical use of placebos.- 6.1. Empirical research on th e use of placebos.- 6.2. Conceptual confusion.- 6.3. What do we really know?.- 7. Conclusions.