FOLLOW-UP

Publication

BMJ Books published a volume that was released in March 2002 that comprises the full proceeding of the conference. Visit the BMJ Bookshop to view the contents of the publication.

Research Initiatives

To implement the research and ethical agenda created by participants in the workshop, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the National Institute on Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) took the lead in developing three trans-NIH initiatives.

  1. The Placebo Effect in Clinical Practice (RFA-AT-02-001)
    • Goal - to stimulate research investigations on the factors in the patient-practitioner encounter that promote a placebo response so that a therapeutic intervention can be enhanced to improve health and promote wellness.
    • Set-Aside - Up to $2.5 million/year
    • Application Receipt Date - April 11, 2002
    • 7 grant applications received funding.
    • Inquiries - Nancy Pearson, Ph.D., Program Officer, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (pearsonn@mail.nih.gov)

  2. Elucidation of the Underlying Mechanisms of Placebo Effect (RFA-AT-02-002)
    • Goal - to stimulate research aimed at delineating the underlying biological mechanisms by which placebos lead to their ultimate physiological and psychological effects.
    • Set-Aside - Up to $2.5 million/year
    • Application Receipt Date - April 11, 2002
    • 5 grant applications received funding.
    • Inquiries - Nancy Pearson, Ph.D., Program Officer, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (pearsonn@mail.nih.gov)

  3. Ancillary Studies on Control Groups in Clinical Trials (PA-02-094)
    • Goal - to encourage grant applications for ancillary studies to ongoing or soon-to-be implemented randomized controlled clinical trials supported by the participating NIH institutes to study the biological and behavioral aspects of the placebo effect and the effects of inclusion of a placebo group on clinical trial design.
    • Set-Aside - None
    • Release Date - April 3, 2002
    • Receipt Dates - February 1, June 1, October 1 of each year
    • Inquiries - Catherine Meyers, M.D., Director, Inflammatory Renal Disease Programs, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases ( MeyersC@extra.niddk.nih.gov)
    4.

Advancing the science of placebo requires that we significantly enlarge the cadre of scientists who have been working in this area. Thus, NCCAM and NIDDK announced these initiatives, seeking to attract investigators across a broad range of fields, including sociology, anthropology, psychology, neurobiology, endocrinology, immunology, genetics, pharmacology, ethics, and the design and conduct of clinical trials, to undertake interdisciplinary studies utilizing the full battery of contemporary behavioral, social, molecular, physiological, biochemical, immunological, and genetic approaches.
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