The Study
Placebo mechanisms in aging: A randomized controlled trial comparing deceptive and open-label placebos on psychological, cognitive, and physical functioning in older adults
This study showed that when older people were told they were taking a sugar pill that might help their mind and body, some of them felt less stressed and remembered things a little better. But we can't say the pill itself caused it — it might just be because they believed it would work.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists gave older adults fake pills—some told they were real medicine, others told they were fake but could still help via mind-body power. Both groups felt better, but those who knew the pills were fake felt the most stress relief and remembered things better.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 564 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes—reducing stress and improving memory by even a small amount can make daily life easier for older adults, especially without drugs or side effects.
- 2People who took fake pills knowing they were fake (OLP) had 25% lower stress scores and remembered 1 more digit on average than those who got no pills.
- 3Both placebo groups improved memory and physical performance, but only OLP beat the no-treatment group.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology : IJCHP
Year
2026
Authors
Diletta Barbiani, Alessandro Antonietti, Francesco Pagnini
Related Content
Claims (5)
Patients who know they are receiving a placebo still experience measurable improvements in their symptoms.
In healthy adults aged 65 to 90, being told they are receiving a placebo does not change their long-term psychological traits such as optimism, belief in their own abilities, or views about aging after three weeks.
In healthy adults aged 65 to 90, physical performance improved over three weeks after receiving either open-label or deceptive placebos, but the improvements were not greater in one group than the other.
In adults aged 65 to 90, receiving inert pills with a clear explanation about how expectations can influence physical sensations leads to a measurable decrease in reported stress levels compared to groups receiving deceptive placebos or no intervention.
In adults aged 65 to 90, openly telling participants they are receiving a placebo improves short-term memory performance on the Digit Span test compared to no treatment, but not compared to a placebo given under deception.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.