Placebos, Double-blind, Clincal Trials- OH MY!

                 This past week in biology we studied something pretty interesting. CLINICAL TRIALS! I spent a fair amount of time on a website called clinicaltrials.gov, this little site provided an interesting glimpse of what clinical trials are and how they work. We spent time focused on clinical trials that are double-blind and include a placebo. I chose to take a look at a clinical trial focused on a drug to help with depression. Like I mentioned before, the study included a placebo. 

Placebo Receiver

Treatment Receiver

                      "What in the world are placebos?" Is what I bet you are asking yourself at the current moment. Well I'm gonna let you in on a little secret...they are NOTHING. Yeah, you heard me-nothing. In a clinical trial, once you go through the initial screening visit and are accepted into the clinical trial. You are randomly sorted, among the other participants in the trial to either receive the drug under study or a placebo. So lets say Mickey Mouse and Spongebob Squarepants are participants in a clinical trial. Mickey receives the real drug and Spongebob receives the placebo. Spongebob is taking what he thinks is the real drug. But is really the placebo, that does nothing and has no effect on him whatsoever.  
               This brings us to our other key word, double-blind. If a study is double-blind, neither the patient or the people administering the drug/treatment know which patients are receiving the drug/treatment or which patients are receiving the placebo. Clinical trials offer a lot. Clinical trials take a treatment or drug and put it through stages. Check it over and  make sure it is safe to put out there on the market. To participate in a clinical trial, you have to meet certain requirements for that trial. Age, sometimes gender, and health conditions are somethings among others that are taken into account when you are accepted into a clinical trial. Overall, clinical trials are pretty interesting...and every once and a while, a little helpful.
(Mickey Mouse Picture found on www.free-extras.com)
(Spongebob Squarepants Picture found on www.frederatorblogs.com)