Are molecular scanners going to make double-blind placebo-controlled trials impossible?

Dear Editor, It almost looks like science fiction, but recently a molecular scanner (called SCiOS), which costs less than US$150, has hit the market (http://www.consumerphysics.com/myscio/scio/). It is advertised as being able to provide information on materials, including the composition and calories of food, quality of fruits and even details concerning the manufacture of perfumes. Future uses will probably include the development of a type of medical sensor to analyse biological material. It is reported to work by using near-infrared spectroscopy. There is one aspect of this new technology and the resulting gadget which should alarm the medical community and especially the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory bodies. The manufacturer states that the device can identify the substances in pills and capsules and even distinguish these from a placebo (http://www.consumerphysics.com/business/solutions/#pharmaceutical). If this is so, and since the device can be acquired easily and at low cost, the...

Source: Evidence-Based Mental Health - October 20, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Fountoulakis, K. N. Tags: Letter Source Type: research