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Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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Delayed Response ≠ Placebo

Authors: Domargård, Anita;

Delayed Response ≠ Placebo

Abstract

Delayed clinical improvement is frequently dismissed as placebo, regression to the mean, or nonspecific fluctuation. This interpretation assumes that effective treatment should produce early and clearly attributable responses. This paper challenges that assumption by reframing delayed response as a physiologically plausible outcome in dynamically regulated systems. In the context discussed here, the patient receives active treatment and pharmacological exposure is adequate, but the clinical response emerges only after a delay. Such latency reflects system inertia, regulatory reorganization, and timing sensitivity rather than lack of efficacy. Delayed response therefore represents meaningful diagnostic information rather than weak or nonspecific change. Misclassifying delayed improvement as placebo can lead to premature discontinuation, unnecessary escalation, and misinterpretation of treatment failure. This work presents a clinical interpretation framework within Dynamic Medicine, emphasizing response timing and system behavior over early endpoints. No new experimental or clinical data are introduced.

Keywords

drug response variability, Medical Decision-Making, misclassification of placebo, system inertia, Dynamic Medicine, Complex Systems, regulatory adaptation, clinical interpretation, Pharmacology (clinical interpretation), response latency, delayed response, system dynamics, Clinical Medicine, treatment timing, Systems Medicine

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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