01/10/2014

Migraine Study Reveals the Power of Placebo

9:21 minutes

Researchers studying migraine sufferers found that positive and negative expectations could influence the effectiveness of medications and placebos. Study co-author Ted Kaptchuk discusses the findings and the implications for how doctors approach prescribing medications.

Segment Guests

Ted Kaptchuk

Ted Kaptchuk is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and director of the Program in Placebo Studies at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Meet the Producer

About Alexa Lim

Alexa Lim was a senior producer for Science Friday. Her favorite stories involve space, sound, and strange animal discoveries.