[Appearance of anxiety after intake of a placebo].

In 45 of 73 patients (organic brain syndromes of complex genesis, schizophrenia, manic phase of manic-depressive psychosis, alcoholism), intake of placebo one week before discharge induced anxiety accompanied by dryness of the mouth, enhanced perspiration and increase of tremor. Anxiety/disappeared after verbal information that the action of this drug is exhausted 1 hour after its intake. Peculiarity of this observation consists in the fact that all placebo responders (61.6% of patients) appeared to be negative, i.e. they had no positive placebo responses. According to the reported data, the negative placebo responses are observed in 10-20% of patients. Anxiety is considered as a symptom provoked by placebo in patients who are in the "neurotic" phase following the cessation of psychotic symptomatology.