New Scientist - First 'placebo gene' discovered
Scientists gave volunteers with a social anxiety disorder a placebo 'treatment', and then made them make a public address-- something that would make them nervous. Of the respondents who reported diminished anxiety (those on whom the placebo worked), 80% of them had a particular gene which none of the others in the experiment had. The gene is partially responsible for making serotonin and also has been shown in previous studies to positively affect responses to 'fear tests'. One thing to note is that the placebo effect is not just one effect, but multiple effects, in this case a gene that reduces fear was implicated in a placebo effect meant to reduce fear.
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