Epidemiological and electrophysiological studies for TCM-based diagnostic classification of insomnia

Abstract

TCM-based diagnostic classification is the essence of Chinese medicine theories and remains as the foundation for individualized remedies. The philosophy of TCM syndrome stratification of Excess and Deficiency is an empirical concept yet to need scientific recognition. This thesis reported two studies which were conducted by employing the concept of Excess and Deficiency classifications as the major axis, with a view to identify prominent epidemiological and electrophysiological changes in insomnia among different internal equilibrium conditions.

The paper started with a comprehensive literature review outlining the updated prevalence, diagnosis and conventional treatment of insomnia. An introduction of Chinese medicine perspectives of the disease was also discussed, serving grounds for the conduction of the two studies covered in this thesis.

The first study was an epidemiological survey examining the differences in Chinese medicine syndromes concerning subjects’ demographic, sleep pattern, medical-seeking behavior, clinical outcome and emotion scores. Significant associations were found between Chinese medicine syndromes and gender, work hour, duration of insomnia and several related sleep parameters, as well as clinical outcome for herbal prescriptions and proprietary medicines. Inertia to proper medical care was observed and emotion scores from validated scales showed psychiatric attention should be required in large proportion of the sample. Awareness of insomnia should be raised in prevention for adverse consequences of unattended symptoms.

The second study was an electrophysiological research summarizing the electrical conductivity of selected acupuncture points commonly used for treating insomnia. Subsequent analysis was also conducted from the TCM-based diagnostic perspectives to compare such measurements among healthy volunteers and insomniacs of Excess and Deficiency syndromes. Conspicuous differences were discovered in the entire set of auricular acupuncture points being tested, as well as some of the body acupuncture points. The study warranted quantifiable changes in electric current of acupuncture points upon stratification of Chinese medicine syndromes. The breakthrough guaranteed the significance of syndrome classification in the course of diagnosis and treatment procedures for insomnia.

In conclusion, our work consolidated evidence for the importance in TCM-based diagnostic classification in insomnia. This might provide insight for future advancement of related Chinese medicine research in the field of sleep medicine.