Placebo Workshop: Translational Research Domains and Key Questions
Date and Time
12:00–4:00 p.m. ET
Location
Overview
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) will host a virtual workshop on the placebo effect. The purpose of this workshop is to bring together experts in neurobiology, clinical trials, and regulatory science to examine placebo effects in drug, device, and psychosocial interventions for mental health conditions.
Topics will include interpretability of placebo signals within the context of clinical trials, how to isolate active response from placebo effects, and psychosocial implications of placebo response.
The workshop will be open to the scientific community and the public at large.
Sponsored by
The National Institute of Mental Health’s Division of Translational Research (DTR).
Registration
This workshop is free, but registration is required .
Contact
If you have questions about this workshop or need reasonable accommodations, please email Doug Meinecke, Ph.D. and Erin King, Ph.D. Requests need to be made five business days before the event.
Agenda
Day 1. Thursday, July 11
12:00-12:05 p.m.
NIMH Welcome Remarks
Shelli Avenevoli, Ph.D.
NIMH staff
12:05-12:20 p.m.
Introduction to Placebo Mechanisms
- Workshop goals
- Placebo definition
- Introduction to placebo mechanisms
Tor Wager, Ph.D.
12:20-1:10 p.m.
Historic Perspectives on Placebo in Drug Trials
- Industry and regulatory perspectives
Michael Detke, M.D., Ph.D.
Ni Aye Khin, M.D.
1:10-1:35 p.m.
Current State of Placebo in Regulatory Trials
- Mitigation and control of placebo response in drug trials
Tiffany Farchione, M.D.,
FAPA
1:35-1:50 p.m.
Break
1:50-2:30 p.m.
Current State of Placebo in Device Trials
- Historical perspectives and current challenges
Sarah Hollingsworth “Holly” Lisanby, M.D.
Zhi-De Deng, Ph.D.
2:30-3:10 p.m.
Current State of Placebo in Psychosocial Trials
- How is placebo defined in the context of psychosocial interventions?
- How is placebo defined in the context of psychosocial interventions?
Winfried Rief, Ph.D.
Lauren Atlas, Ph.D.
3:10-4:00 p.m.
Panel Discussion
Moderators:
Carolyn Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D.
Alexander Talkovsky, Ph.D.
All Day 1 speakers
Day 2. Friday, July 12
12:00-12:15 p.m.
Day 1 Recap and Day 2 Overview
Cristina Cusin, M.D.
12:15-1:30 p.m.
(six 20-minute talks with five minutes for each question)
Measuring & Mitigating the Placebo Effect
- What are the basic mechanisms of the placebo response?
- Cross cutting commonalities in predicting placebo response
- Psychosocial and interpersonal effects
*order subject to change*
Kathryn Hall, Ph.D., MPH
Marta Pecina, M.D., Ph.D.
Gregory Corder, Ph.D.
Luana Colloca, M.D., Ph.D.
Liane Schmidt, Ph.D.
Fadel Zeidan, Ph.D.
1:30-1:45 p.m.
Break
1:45-3:00 p.m.
Measuring & Mitigating the Placebo Effect (continued)
- Which outcomes are susceptible to placebo response?
- What are other measures of placebo response besides biological?
- Novel biological and behavioral approaches to address the placebo effect in research
3:00-4:00 p.m.
Panel Discussion
- Identification of gap areas and current challenges
Moderators:
Ted Kaptchuk, M.D.
Matthew Rudorfer, M.D.
All Day 1 and Day 2 speakers