Placebo effects in women are boosted by vasopressin

A new study suggests that women are particularly susceptible to the pain-relieving placebo effect of vasopressin. Placebos are used to help accurately measure clinical responses/outcomes when studying the effects of medications, therapies, and other treatments. The well-known “placebo effect” is a phenomenon whereby a patient’s condition improves or a patient experiences side effects despite having received a “fake” treatment.