I have seen both terms being used in manuscripts and googled the question but did not get a clear answer
In studies of drugs/interventions, a "vehicle" and a "placebo" are not interchangeable terms.
A vehicle is a substance used as a carrier or solvent for a drug or intervention that is being tested. It is intended to be inert and not have any therapeutic effect of its own. A vehicle is often used as a control in studies to ensure that any effects observed are due to the drug/intervention being tested and not the carrier substance.
On the other hand, a placebo is a substance that is designed to look and feel like the drug/intervention being tested, but is actually an inactive or inert substance. The use of a placebo is intended to control for the placebo effect, which is a psychological effect where patients experience an improvement in symptoms simply because they believe they are receiving an effective treatment.
So while both a vehicle and a placebo may be used as controls in studies of drugs/interventions, they are not interchangeable terms. A vehicle is a carrier substance that is inert and intended to have no therapeutic effect, while a placebo is an inactive substance designed to look and feel like the drug/intervention being tested in order to control for the placebo effect.
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