The Relation Between Constitutional Types and Indices of Tongue, Pulse,and Ausculative Diagnosis

Study Overview
=================
Brief Summary
-----------------
This study aims to evaluate indices of tongue diagnosis, ausculative diagnosis, and pulse diagnosis in the determination of institutions.

Detailed Description
-----------------
Constitution differentiation is important for the prescription of Chinese medicines. In previous studies, researchers usually used constitutional questionnaires to determine constitutions.However, the importance of tongue diagnosis and pulse diagnosis remained unclear. The specific aim of this study is to evaluation indices of tongue diagnosis, auscultative diagnosis, and pulse diagnosis in the determination of constitutions. Meeting of specialists will determine the characteristics for each constitution first. This study plans to recruit 200 volunteers and determine their constitutions by constitutional questionnaires. Tongue manifestations and pulse pressure waveforms will be taken at the same time by standardized instruments. Relations between the indices and each constitution will be determined by multiple linear regression and logistic regression analysis. Then the percentage of importance of a specific index in a specific constitutional type could be determine.

Official Title
-----------------
The Relation Between Constitutional Types and Indices of Tongue, Pulse,and Ausculative Diagnosis

Conditions
-----------------
Non-disease State

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Diagnostic Test: Pulse, tongue image, and voice sound


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria: Volunteers without aged older than 20 years old Exclusion Criteria: Pregnant taking any medicine currently suffering for acute disease currently

Ages Eligible for Study
-----------------
Minimum Age: 20 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| normal<br>A normal constitution condition in TCM. | Diagnostic Test: Pulse, tongue image, and voice sound<br>* They are four diagnosis methods of TCM<br>|
| Qi deficiency<br>One of an abnormal constitution condition in TCM. | Diagnostic Test: Pulse, tongue image, and voice sound<br>* They are four diagnosis methods of TCM<br>|
| Damp heat<br>One of an abnormal constitution condition in TCM. | Diagnostic Test: Pulse, tongue image, and voice sound<br>* They are four diagnosis methods of TCM<br>|
| Yang deficiency<br>One of an abnormal constitution condition in TCM. | Diagnostic Test: Pulse, tongue image, and voice sound<br>* They are four diagnosis methods of TCM<br>|
| Yin deficiency<br>One of an abnormal constitution condition in TCM. | Diagnostic Test: Pulse, tongue image, and voice sound<br>* They are four diagnosis methods of TCM<br>|
| Phlagm<br>One of an abnormal constitution condition in TCM. | Diagnostic Test: Pulse, tongue image, and voice sound<br>* They are four diagnosis methods of TCM<br>|
| Blood stasis<br>One of an abnormal constitution condition in TCM. | Diagnostic Test: Pulse, tongue image, and voice sound<br>* They are four diagnosis methods of TCM<br>|
| Qi stagnation<br>One of an abnormal constitution condition in TCM. | Diagnostic Test: Pulse, tongue image, and voice sound<br>* They are four diagnosis methods of TCM<br>|
| Special<br>One of an abnormal constitution condition in TCM. | Diagnostic Test: Pulse, tongue image, and voice sound<br>* They are four diagnosis methods of TCM<br>|

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tongue image | A photograph of tongue will be taken and the RGB color values of the tongue will be analyzed using Photoshop software | The photograph will be taken only at the first day the subject has been recruited | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Acoustic sound | Voice wave analysis of an one-second /a/ sound (in only one time point) | The voice waves will be taken only once at the first day the subject has been recruited | 
| Pulse image | Time-domained pulse waveform of the radial artery will be recorded for about 1 minute | The pulse waveforms will be recorded at the first day the subject has been recruited |