Apr 25, 2026 09:00:00

A study suggests that simply taking 'medicine-like substances that are known to be fake' can improve memory and reduce stress in older adults.

The placebo effect is a phenomenon in which patients experience some improvement even when prescribed a placebo that does not actually produce any physiological effects, simply because they believe it is a real drug. A new study involving elderly individuals showed that even when they were clearly told that the pills were placebos with no therapeutic effect, they still experienced benefits such as improved memory and reduced stress.

Placebo mechanisms in aging: A randomized controlled trial comparing deceptive and open-label placebos on psychological, cognitive, and physical functioning in older adults - ScienceDirect
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1697260026000104

Fake medicine yields surprisingly real results for older adults' memory and stress
https://www.psypost.org/fake-medicine-yields-surprisingly-real-results-for-older-adults-memory-and-stress/

Clinical trials to test the effectiveness of new drugs often utilize placebos, such as sugar tablets or saline solution, which have no medicinal properties. In a typical clinical trial, one group is given the drug to be tested, while another group is given a placebo. In this case, the subjects are not informed which drug they received, and the effect of the placebo in the control group is compared with the effect in the experimental group that received the actual drug.

For many years, it was believed that the placebo effect required patients to believe they had taken a real drug. However, recent research has shown that the placebo effect can occur even when patients know they have taken a placebo .

A treatment method in which patients are clearly informed that they are being given a placebo is called 'open-label placebo therapy.' When practicing open-label placebo therapy, the therapist explains that the placebo contains no active ingredients. They then explain the placebo effect, stating that 'the act of taking medication regularly can affect the brain and produce a healing effect,' thereby helping patients understand the connection between mind and body.

Most open-label placebo studies conducted to date have focused on specific conditions such as chronic joint pain and irritable bowel syndrome, and have done little research on their effects on age-related physical and mental changes. Therefore, a research team led by Diletta Barbiani, a psychologist at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (Sacro Cuore) in Italy, investigated the effects of open-label placebos on memory and physical abilities in older adults.

The research team recruited 90 healthy elderly individuals aged 65 to 90 and randomly assigned them to three groups: a control group that took no medication at all, a blinded placebo group that was made to believe they were taking an effective drug, and an experimental group that was given a placebo under an open-label placebo scheme, after which they were informed of the placebo effect.

Participants took medication over a three-week experimental period and answered a series of questions and took tests before and after the experiment. The questions measured subjective emotions such as stress, daytime sleepiness, and overall life satisfaction, while the tests measured memory, attention, and physical abilities.

Analysis of the results revealed that the group receiving a placebo using an open-label method experienced significantly lower stress levels compared to the control group and the blinded placebo group. The open-label placebo group also reported higher scores on objective tests examining short-term memory compared to the other groups.

While the blinded placebo group, who were led to believe the medication they took was effective, performed better than the control group on tests of memory, attention, and physical ability, the open-label placebo group showed even greater improvement. This suggests that for older adults to experience the placebo effect, it is not always necessary to deceive them into believing the medication is effective.

Psychology media outlet PsyPost stated, 'By explaining honesty and the science behind it, a stronger relationship of trust appears to have been built between researchers and subjects. Subjects who knew the truth may have been more actively involved in the experimental process, potentially leading to stronger physical responses. Transparent explanations may give patients a sense of greater control over their own health.'

While these findings are promising, the research team acknowledges that there are some limitations, including the relatively small sample size of 90 participants and the short three-week experimental period, which is insufficient for tracking age-related changes. In future clinical trials, the team aims to track biological markers such as heart rate, brain waves, and stress hormones to understand the mechanisms by which open-label placebos affect the body.

Despite some limitations, the open-label placebo concept has the potential to be a groundbreaking treatment in geriatric medicine. PsyPost stated, 'Lying to patients violates the ethical standard of transparency in medicine. By leveraging the patient's mental strength in a completely transparent way, older adults have the potential to improve their physical and mental independence. This approach has the potential to be a treatment that is virtually free and has no side effects.'