Placebo Response and Media Attention in Randomized Clinical Trials Assessing Cannabis-Based Therapies for Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Persistent pain is a common and disabling health problem that is often difficult to treat. There is an increasing interest in medicinal cannabis for treatment of persistent pain; however, the limited superiority of cannabinoids over placebo in clinical trials suggests that positive expectations may contribute to the improvements.

Objective

To evaluate the size of placebo responses in randomized clinical trials in which cannabinoids were compared with placebo in the treatment of pain and to correlate these responses to objective estimates of media attention.

Data sources

A systematic literature search was conducted within the MEDLINE and Embase databases. Studies published until September 2021 were considered.

Study selection

Cannabinoid studies with

SUBMITTER: Gedin F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9706362 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature