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OBJECTIVE: To analyze the factors influencing the therapeutic effect of "Shoulder Tri-needles therapy" in the treatment of shoulder-hand syndrome of stroke patients by using machine learning approach, so as to provide a feasibility for improving clinical efficacy. METHODS: A total of 586 stroke patients with shoulder-hand syndrome eligible for this study were involved in our machine learning experiments for classification of the influential factors. Their data including the age, gender, pulse condition, complexion, tongue quality, tongue coating, disease stage, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, blood glucose, blood triglyceride, blood total cholesterol, smoking history, drinking history, and final outcomes were extracted from the medical record system (from Oct. of 2014 to Jan. of 2017 in the First Affiliated Hospital and Shenzhen Futian Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine). The single rule algorithm (1 R) was adopted to learn, followed by optimization with Repeated Incremental Pruning to Produce Error Reduction (RIPPER) algorithm, and C 5.0 decision tree algorithm. RESULTS: The accurate classification rates of 1 R, RIPPER and decision tree model were 87.37%(512/586), 95.90% (562/586), and 97.10% (569/586), respectively. The final outcomes of machine learning of this study showed that the disease stage (acute or recovery stage), complexion difference, tongue coating difference, blood pressure level, consumption of alcohol, BMI, and smoking habit were the most important factors influencing the therapeutic effect of "Shoulder Tri-needles" in the treatment of shoulder-hand syndrome of stroke patients. CONCLUSION: The disease stage, complexion and tongue identification, blood pressure level, alcohol drinking and smoking habits, and BMI are the principal factors affecting the therapeutic effect of "Shoulder Tri-needles therapy" in the treatment of shoulder-hand syndrome of stroke patients.
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Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture plus medication in treating chronic pelvic inflammatory disease. Method By using the random number table, sixty-eight patients with chronic pelvic inflammatory disease were randomized into an acupuncture-medication group of 34 cases and a medication group of 34 cases. The clinical efficacies were compared after 2 courses of treatment, and the symptoms and body signs scores and syndrome score of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) were also compared. Result There was a significant difference in comparing the therapeutic efficacy between the acupuncture-medication group and the medication group (P<0.05). After the treatment, the symptoms and body signs scores and TCM syndrome score dropped significantly in both groups (P<0.05), indicating that the two groups both had improvement in the symptoms, body signs and TCM syndrome; there were significant between-group differences in comparing the score differences in the symptoms and body signs scores and TCM syndrome score after the treatment (P<0.05), and the acupuncture-medication group was higher than the medication group. Conclusion Acupuncture plus medication can better ameliorate the symptoms and body signs and TCM syndrome in chronic pelvic inflammatory disease.
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Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of Lai's acupuncture therapy combined with Chinese herbal decoction for the treatment of infertility with ovulatory dysfunction, and to summarize the experience of Professor Lai Xin-Sheng in treating infertility. Methods Ninety-six infertility patients with ovulatory dysfunction were randomized into treatment group and control group, 48 cases in each group. The treatment group was treated with Lai's Tongyuan acupuncture therapy for regulating Governor Vessel to tranquilize mind, inducing meridian Qi to original Qi, and was also given oral use of Chinese herbal decoction of Lai's Yiyun Recipe for promoting gestation. The control group was treated with Chinese herbal decoction alone. The treatment began exactly after the completion of menstruation period and lasted 15 days for one treatment course, covering 3 courses. And then the patients of the two groups were followed-up for 3 months. Therapeutic effect and pregnancy rate were evaluated after treatment, serum levels of estradiol and progesterone were examined, and abdominal ultrasonography was used for monitoring the maximum diameter of the dominant follicles and endometrial thickness before and after treatment. Results (1) Three cases from the treatment group and 5 cases from the control group were dropped out, and the final case number in the treatment group and control group was 45, 43 respectively. (2) The total efficiency of the treatment group was 88.9％, and that of the control group was 81.4％. The effect of the treatment group was better than that of the control group (P < 0.05). (3) The pregnancy rate of the treatment group was 73.3％, higher than that of the control group (51.2％), the difference being significant (P < 0.05). (4) After treatment, the maximum diameter of the dominant follicles and endometrial thickness in the two groups were obviously improved(P < 0.05 compared with those before treatment), and the improvement in the treatment group was superior to that in the control group (P < 0.05). (5) After treatment, the serum levels of estradiol and progesterone in the two groups were obviously improved(P < 0.05 compared with those before treatment) , and the improvement in the treatment group was superior to that in the control group(P < 0.05). Conclusion The therapeutic effect of Lai's acupuncture therapy combined with Chinese herbal decoction is superior to that of Chinese herbal decoction alone, showing an obvious synergistic effect by shortening the course of treatment and enhancing pregnancy rate.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe changes of brain glucose metabolism by needling at Waiguan (SJ5) in cerebral infraction (CI) patients using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron-emission computer tomography (PET/CT), thus exploring its effect and mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 21 patients with CI were recruited in this study. The location of lesion was limited to the left basal ganglia by CT or MRI scan. All patients were randomly assigned to three groups. i.e., the acupoint group (Group A), the non-acupoint group (Group B), the blank control group (Group C), 7 in each group. Patients in Group A were needled at right Waiguan (SJ5). Those in Group B were needled at non-acupoint [10 mm beside Waiguan (SJ5)], whereas those in Group C did not receive any treatment. All patients underwent PET/CT head scan. All data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 13.0 Software and SPM8 Software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with Group C, glucose metabolism increased in bilateral superior temporal gyrus (BA38), right superior frontal gyrus (BA9), left cingulate gyrus (BA24), left culmen and pyramid of cerebellum, and right cerebellar tonsil of cerebellum in Group A. Compared with Group C, glucose metabolism increased in bilateral superior frontal gyrus (BA6, BA9, BA10), bilateral middle frontal gyrus (BA6, BA10), left middle frontal gyrus (BA4), bilateral uncus of limbic lobe (BA36, BA38), left cingulate gyrus (BA24, BA31), left posterior cingulate gyrus (BA30), left precuneus (BA7), left inferior parietal lobule (BA4), and left lingual gyrus of occipital lobe (BA18) in Group B. Compared with Group B, glucose metabolism increased in bilateral superior temporal gyrus (BA22, BA38), right inferior frontal gyrus (BA47), left culmen and cerebellar tonsil of cerebellum in Group A. Activated encephalic regions of needling at Waiguan (SJ5) were mainly dominated in the healthy side, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, and right inferior frontal gyrus. Activated encephalic regions of cerebellum were located at the left cerebellar hemisphere, left culmen of anterior cerebella lobe, and bilateral cerebellar tonsil of posterior cerebella lobe.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Needling at Waiguan (SJ5) of CI patients induced increased glucose metabolism in local cerebral regions. Functional neuroimaging using PET/CT could directly reflect changes of brain glucose metabolism by acupuncture.</p>