ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo observe the therapeutic effect of Chaishao Longmu decoction on insomnia in the patients with the syndrome of live depression and spleen deficiency and explore the correlation between infrared thermal imaging and insomnia with liver depression and spleen deficiency. MethodA total of 72 insomnia patients treated in the outpatient department of Shenzhen Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine （Futian） from May to December in 2022 were selected and randomized into a treatment group and a control group， with 36 patients in each group. The patients in the treatment group were treated with Chaishao Longmu decoction and those in the control group with eszopiclone for 4 weeks. The clinical efficacy， Pittsburgh sleep quality index （PSQI） score， TCM syndrome score and infrared thermal imaging characteristics ［temperature and temperature changes of frontal sleep line， frontal region， anterior trunk， Zhongwan （CV12）， conception vessel （CV）， left hypochondrium， right hypochondrium， dorsal trunk， and governor vessel （GV）］ of two groups were determined before and after treatment. ResultAfter treatment， the clinical response rate in treatment group was 91.67% （33/36）， which was higher than that （66.67%， 24/36） in the control group （Z=-2.617， P<0.01）. The treatment in both groups decreased the PSQI score and TCM syndrome score （P<0.01）， and the decreases were more significant in treatment group than in the control group （P<0.01）. After treatment， the total response rate of sleep line improvement in the treatment group was 86.11% （31/36）， which was higher than that （66.67%， 24/36） in the control group （Z=-2.591， P<0.05）. The frontal temperature of the two groups decreased （P<0.01） after treatment. Compared with those before treatment， the temperatures of anterior trunk， CV12， CV， left hypochondrium， right hypochondrium， dorsal trunk， and GV rose after treatment （P<0.01）. After treatment， the treatment group had lower frontal temperature and higher temperatures of anterior trunk， CV12， CV， left hypochondrium， right hypochondrium， dorsal trunk， and GV than the control group （P<0.01）. The treatment in the treatment group reduced the ∆T values of GV （P<0.01） and increased that of the CV12， CV， left hypochondrium， and right hypochondrium （P<0.05，P<0.01）. The treatment in the control group increased the ∆T value of CV12 （P<0.01）. After treatment， the treatment group had lower ∆T values of GV （P<0.01） and higher ∆T value of CV12， CV， left hypochondrium， and right hypochondrium （P<0.05， P<0.01） than the control group. Compared with that before treatment， the temperature difference between GV and CV in the two groups increased after treatment （P<0.01）. According to the infrared thermal image characteristics， the normal temperature difference between GV and CV was within the range of 0.5-1. The median value after treatment in the treatment group was 0.69 （0.52， 0.88）， which was within the normal range， indicating that the treatment group outperformed the control group. ConclusionChaishao Longmu decoction can alleviate short-term insomnia by soothing liver， invigorating spleen， harmonizing the middle energizer， and regulating GV and CV. With definite clinical effect， this decoction deserves promotion. Furthermore， the frontal temperature， sleep line， CV12， CV ∆T， and temperature difference between GV and CV revealed by the infrared thermal images could be used for the diagnosis and of insomnia with liver depression and spleen deficiency.