Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Placebo effect lowers seizures in dogs with epilepsy
By Muñana, K R et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2010·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Placebo effect in canine epilepsy trials.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 34 dogs with epilepsy was studied to see how much the placebo effect (where dogs improve just because they think they are getting treatment) influenced their seizure frequency. Surprisingly, 79% of the dogs that received a placebo showed a decrease in seizures compared to before the trial, with some experiencing a significant reduction of 50% or more. This suggests that the dogs' belief in the treatment may have helped reduce their seizures, which is important for understanding how effective new epilepsy medications might be. More research is needed to accurately assess the effectiveness of treatments for dogs with epilepsy.
People also search for: dog epilepsy treatment · placebo effect in dogs · reducing seizures in dogs · canine epilepsy medication effectiveness
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The placebo effect is a well-recognized phenomenon in human medicine; in contrast, little information exists on the effect of placebo administration in veterinary patients. HYPOTHESIS: Nonpharmacologic therapeutic effects play a role in response rates identified in canine epilepsy trials. ANIMALS: Thirty-four dogs with epilepsy. METHODS: Meta-analysis of the 3 known prospective, placebo-controlled canine epilepsy trials. The number of seizures per week was compiled for each dog throughout their participation in the trial. Log-linear models were developed to evaluate seizure frequency during treatment and placebo relative to baseline. RESULTS: Twenty-two of 28 (79%) dogs in the study that received placebo demonstrated a decrease in seizure frequency compared with baseline, and 8 (29%) could be considered responders, with a 50% or greater reduction in seizures. For the 3 trials evaluated, the average reduction in seizures during placebo administration relative to baseline was 26% (P = .0018), 29% (P = .17), and 46% (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: A positive response to placebo administration, manifesting as a decrease in seizure frequency, can be observed in epileptic dogs. This is of importance when evaluating open label studies in dogs that aim to assess efficacy of antiepileptic drugs, as the reported results might be overstated. Findings from this study highlight the need for more placebo-controlled trials in veterinary medicine.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19912522/