Components of placebo effect: randomised controlled trial in patients with irritable bowel syndrome

To investigate whether placebo effects can experimentally be separated into the response to three components-assessment and observation, a therapeutic ritual (placebo treatment), and a supportive patient-practitioner relationship-and then progressively combined to produce incremental clinical improvement in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. To assess the relative magnitude of these components.

A six week single blind three arm randomised controlled trial.