Significant improvements in memory, movement and stress management were seen in older adults who participated in a placebo pill study, even when the volunteers knew the pills were inactive. The surprising findings indicate that the placebo effect can act powerfully, even without belief in the active ingredient, benefiting the health of elderly people after just three weeks of use.
Inactive pills contributed to improved memory in adults
Just a three-week treatment with placebos brought remarkable improvements in memory capacity, physical fitness, and overall sense of well-being for older adults in good health.
Psychology researchers at the Università Cattolica in Milan have revealed that a placebo, a supplement without active ingredients, can generate genuine positive effects for elderly people. After taking the inert pills for three weeks, participants experienced improvements in motor and cognitive functions. What is most surprising is that these benefits persisted even when the subjects were aware that the pills did not contain any medicinal substance.
The scientific work was published in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology and conducted by Diletta Barbiani, Alessandro Antonietti and Francesco Pagnini. The project was funded by the PNRR, through the Age-IT initiative.
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“This research is part of an already consolidated area of study, where we explore the relevance of the mind in the stages of aging, an aspect of great importance”, explains Pagnini, who is a full professor of Clinical Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology at Università Cattolica.
Investigating the placebo effect in the healthy aging process
Until then, there were no studies that examined the ability of a conventional placebo to influence abilities that naturally decline over the years.
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“Our goal,” details Professor Pagnini, “was to determine whether an open-label placebo therapy where the individual is aware it is a placebo or a sham supplement where the person is unaware it is a placebo could impact psychological, cognitive and physical functions in older adults living independently in the community.”
To further this investigation, the team recruited 90 healthy elderly people and randomly distributed them into three distinct groups. One of the groups did not receive any type of treatment. The second group received placebo tablets, but were told that these contained active ingredients intended to improve well-being and physical performance. The third group also took the same inactive pills, but it was openly communicated that they were placebos, capable of activating beneficial responses through the mind-body connection.
Before and after the three-week survey, volunteers completed questionnaires that covered topics such as levels of perceived stress, emotional well-being, drowsiness, fatigue, optimism, self-efficacy and conceptions about aging. In addition, they underwent objective exams to measure short-term memory, selective attention and physical performance.
Advances in memory, stress management and physical performance observed
After three weeks, participants who knowingly ingested placebos had lower stress levels compared to the group who received the placebo by mistake and the control group. There was also a notable improvement in short-term memory for this group, compared to those who received no intervention.
Overall, both placebo groups exhibited improvements in cognitive and physical function, although the most dramatic improvements were predominantly observed among those who knew they were taking a placebo.
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Physical performance increased by 7% in the group that was deceptively given the placebo and by 9.2% in the group that was openly informed about the placebo. Cognitive abilities also showed progress. Depending on the specific test, scores rose between 12.6% and 14.6% for participants who believed they were taking a real supplement, while those who knowingly ingested a placebo saw an improvement ranging from 6.9% to 21.5%.
“These are considerable effects”, highlights the psychologist, “comparable to those observed in some experimental studies on physical activity and cognitive training, especially with regard to memory.”
The researchers also identified a decrease in drowsiness. Improvements in stress levels were more pronounced among participants who were aware they were taking a placebo.
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A new perspective to achieve healthier aging?
The findings suggest that placebo treatments can improve several facets of functioning in older adults, with open-label placebos demonstrating equivalent or, in certain cases, superior efficacy to deceptively administered placebos.
For scholars, this evidence positions open-label placebos as a promising and ethically acceptable strategy for promoting healthy aging.
Professor Pagnini reinforces that the results confirm the growing volume of scientific evidence that the mind plays a fundamental role in the aging process. Thoughts, feelings and self-perception can influence not only mental well-being, but also physical capabilities and cognitive functions, highlighting the intrinsic connection between the mind and body.