A placebo is an inert substance normally used in clinical trials for comparison with an active substance. However, a placebo has been shown to have an effect on its own; commonly known as the placebo effect. A placebo is an essential component in the design of conclusive clinical trials but has itself become the focus of intense research. The placebo effect is partly the result of positive expectations of the recipient on the state of health. Conversely, a nocebo effect is when negative expectations from a substance lead to poor treatment outcomes and/or adverse events. Randomized controlled trials in functional urology have demonstrated the importance of the placebo and nocebo effects across different diseases such as overactive bladder, urinary incontinence, lower urinary tract symptoms and interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, as well as male and female sexual dysfunction. Understanding the true nature of the placebo–nocebo complex and the scope of its effect in functional urology could help urologists to maximize the positive effects of this phenomenon while minimizing its potentially negative effects.

安慰剂是一种惰性物质，通常在临床试验中用于与活性物质进行比较。然而，安慰剂已被证明有其自身的作用。俗称安慰剂效应。安慰剂是设计结论性临床试验的重要组成部分，但它本身已成为深入研究的焦点。安慰剂效应部分是接受者对健康状况的积极预期的结果。相反，反安慰剂效应是指对某种物质的负面预期导致不良治疗结果和/或不良事件。功能性泌尿科的随机对照试验证明了安慰剂和反安慰剂效应对不同疾病（如膀胱过度活动症、尿失禁、下尿路症状和间质性膀胱炎/膀胱疼痛综合征）的重要性，以及男性和女性的性功能障碍。了解安慰剂-反安慰剂复合物的真实性质及其在功能性泌尿科中的作用范围可以帮助泌尿科医生最大限度地发挥这种现象的积极作用，同时尽量减少其潜在的负面影响。