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An assessment of the responses to drugs acting on the central nervous system
Author(s) -
Wilson Cedric W. M.,
Huby Pamela M.
Publication year - 1961
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1002/cpt196125587
Subject(s) - placebo , caffeine , medicine , drug , secobarbital , pharmacology , anesthesia , psychology , alternative medicine , pathology , pentobarbital
A quantitative assessment of the subjective and objective responses to caffeine, secobarbital (quinalbarbitone), thiopropazate, and a placebo has been carried out in normal subjects. The order of administration of the drugs was randomized, but the actions of the drugs were explained to the subiects. The subiects were asked to describe the effects of the drugs and to assess which drug they had received on each occasion. It was found that there was an association between the actions of the drugs and the subiects' opinions about which drugs they thought they had received. When they guessed correctly, they responded to it vigorously; where they guessed incorrectly, the effects of the drug were partially or completely inhibited. The implications of this observation are discussed. The percentage of placebo reactors was within the normal range, arul it is suggested that their symptoms may be related to the stress induced at the beginning of the experiment.