ArticleERJ open research2024
Decoding the impact of the placebo response in clinical trials for chronic cough.
Article in ERJ open research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Age-Dependent Role of Cough Hypersensitivity in Transition to Refractory Chronic Cough.Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology · 2026Article
- Risk of pneumonia in adults with chronic cough: a nationwide cohort study.BMJ open respiratory research · 2026Article
- Physiological mechanisms and therapeutic targets in chronic cough.Physiological reports · 2026Review
- Measuring the effect of azithromycin in chronic respiratory disease using continuous cough monitoring: an open-label exploratory trial.ERJ open research · 2026Article
- Redefining chronic cough as a disease: why patient registries matter.ERJ open research · 2025Article
- Efficacy and safety of flupentixol-melitracen in patients with refractory chronic cough: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial.EClinicalMedicine · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Chronic cough is a prevalent and challenging condition, with limited treatment options available. The interpretation of clinical trial results for antitussive drugs is complicated by the presence of the placebo response, which can confound outcomes and impede regulatory approval. This review aims to explore the impact of the placebo response on clinical trials for cough medications and elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved. The multifaceted nature of antitussive effects, including pharmacological, psychological/neurobiological and nonspecific effects, is discussed. Additionally, potential solutions to address the placebo response in future cough medication development, such as strategic study design, appropriate choice of end-points and meticulous patient selection, are proposed. More progress to harness this issue is urgently needed.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.