Question

The San Luis Obispo Tribune (May 7, 2002) reported that "a new analysis has found that in the majority of trials conducted by drug companies in recent decades, sugar pills have done as well as-or better than-antidepressants." What effect is being described here? What does this imply about the design of experiments with a goal of evaluating the effectiveness of a new medication?

Short answer

The effect being described here is that the results from sugar pills (placebos) were mostly as effective as, or more effective than, the results from antidepressants in recent trials by drug companies. This implies that the design of the experiments testing new medications might need to be reviewed. If a placebo is proving to be as or more effective, this could be a sign that there are other factors at work (i.e., psychological), or simply that the drug being tested does not have a significant impact.

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Effect Being Described

In this case, the effect being described is that sugar pills or placebos are performing as well, if not better than, the antidepressants. This highlights that in most of these experiments conducted, the medication is not outperforming a placebo.

Consider the Implication

This implies that there might be an issue with the design of the trials. It raises questions about the effectiveness of the medication being tested, and whether the trials are being properly controlled to isolate the effects of the medication from other factors.

Evaluate the Overall Finding

If the placebo is performing at or better than the medication, it's necessarily something to consider when examining the design of clinical trials aimed at demonstrating the effectiveness of a new drug. It could suggest, for instance, that psychological factors might be playing a significant role in the perceived effectiveness of the drug, or that the drug itself might not be as beneficial as originally thought.