Lancet neurology
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Review Comparative Study
Overt versus covert treatment for pain, anxiety, and Parkinson's disease.
The recent introduction of covert administration of treatment to biomedical research has produced some interesting results, with many clinical and ethical implications. Concealed treatment has been used in people with nervous system conditions including pain, anxiety, and Parkinson's disease. ⋯ The decreased effectiveness of hidden treatments indicates that knowledge about a treatment affects outcome and highlights the importance of the patient-provider interaction. In addition, by use of covert administration, the efficacy of some treatments can be assessed without the use of a placebo and associated ethical issues.