Placebo effect of medication cost in Parkinson disease: A randomized double-blind studyAuthor Response

Editors' Note: In this week's WriteClick, correspondence focuses on questions of cost, both in theory and in practice. Dr. Kelley suggests alternative explanations for why the more “expensive” (placebo) injection worked better than the “cheap” (placebo) injection only when administered first in “Placebo effect of medication cost in Parkinson disease: A randomized double-blind study.” Authors Espay et al. respond and address the controversy of “authorized deception.” Dr. Alpert questions the necessity of the diagnostic expense accrued in the case of “Biopsy-negative PET-positive giant-cell arteritis.” Authors Saidha and Al-Louzi recommend an individualized approach to diagnosis, taking into consideration both the patient and the price. —Megan Alcauskas, MD, and Robert C. Griggs, MD I commend Espay et al.1 for their innovative article, in which table 1 showed that “expensive” injections produced more improvement than “cheap” injections, but only when “expensive” injections were first. When “cheap” injections were first, results were reversed. The authors …