Abstract / Description of output
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are an inescapable means of figuring out whether an intervention is efficacious or not. The main tenet behind RCTs is that they should be double-blind, meaning that neither the participants nor the experimenters know who is assuming the real compound and who the placebo. This is certainly the case for drugs supposed to alleviate the symptoms of dementia. These drugs stand on years of development, research, phases of trials, assessment and analysis. The final phase of this research is based on the outcome of cognitive tests. If a treatment proves effective, it finds a place on the shelves. But how can even the ‘gold standard’ of research become tainted, and what role does psychology have to play?
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 288-291 |
Journal | The Psychologist |
Volume | 28 |
Issue number | 4 |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2015 |