Untitled

Abstract

counterpart to the use of placebo. The nocebo effect reflects changes in human psychobiology involving the brain, body, and behavior rather than drug toxicity. [3] Nocebo effects, which have been encountered in both clinical and research settings, occur when negative effects arise out of a patient's or participant's negative expectations. [4] A study involving the use of finasteride in patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy revealed a 3-fold increase in the incidence of erectile dysfunction (ED) when this potential side effect was disclosed to the patient. [5] In a similar study involving the use of beta-blocker (atenolol), only 3.1% of men reported (ED) when they were not told the name of the medication, 15.6% when they were told the drug name but not the potential risk of ED, while the incidence was 31.2% when they were told both the drug name and the potential risk of ED. [6] Furthermore, Schweiger and Parducci reported that more than two-thirds of a sample including