安慰剂不仅是研究药效的重要手段,而且已发展为临床上有广泛用途的诊疗工具。但对安慰剂的认识、原理和应用还有不少争论,因而影响正确使用安慰剂。鉴于国内外发表的文献较少,因此有系统论述的必要。大量文献已经证明:不用安慰剂作为对照来进行双盲法试验,临床就不可能正确评价药效。纵使是不告诉病人用药情况的单盲法,也不能消除由于研究者希望获得成功而引起的强烈安慰剂效应。他们报告的疗效往往很好,而抱怀疑态度的研究者则报告疗效并不比安慰剂好。往往在推荐一种药或疗法的开始阶段,普遍都很热心并寄予希望,但后来却被放弃。例如三十年代用黄嘌呤类,四十年代用基林(甲基二甲 Placebo is not only an important tool to study the efficacy, but also has been developed as clinically useful diagnostic tools. However, the understanding of placebo, the principle and application of a lot of controversy, thus affecting the correct use of placebo. Given the literature published at home and abroad less, there is a need for systematic discussion. A large body of literature has demonstrated that it is not possible clinically to evaluate the efficacy of a double-blind trial without placebo as a control. Even a single-blinded approach that does not tell patients about medication does not eliminate the strong placebo effect caused by the researchers’ hopes of success. They reported better outcomes, while skeptics reported no better outcomes than placebo. Often the most enthusiastic and hopeful of recommending a drug or therapy was initially abandoned but later abandoned. For example, Xanthines in the thirties, forties with Keeling (methyldimethyl