title: [Impedance characteristics of ear acupoints in identifying excess or deficiency syndrome of stroke].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the impedance characteristics of ear acupoints in stroke patients with excess or deficiency syndrome, and to provide basis data for objective study of the syndromes of stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data of electrical characteristics of ear acupoints in stroke patients and healthy people were collected, and excess syndrome and deficiency syndrome of stroke were identified by quantifying the syndromes of stroke using scales. The differences in impedance characteristics of ear acupoints between stroke patients and healthy people were analyzed, and the differences in impedance characteristics of ear acupoints between stroke patients with excess syndrome and stroke patients with deficiency syndrome were analyzed too. The correlation among impedance characteristics of ear acupoints, stroke and the syndromes was also analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences in impedance characteristics of ear acupoints between stroke patients and healthy people (P<0.05,P<0.01). The ear acupoints CO12 (Gan) and CO13 (Pi) had a significant role in diagnosing stroke as compared with CO18 (Neifenmi), AT3.4.AH12i (Naogan), CO10 (Shen), TG2p (Shenshangxian), AH6a (Jiaogan), AT4 (Pizhixia), and CO15 (Xin). There were significant differences in impedance characteristics of ear acupoints between stroke patients with excess syndrome and stroke patients with deficiency syndrome (P<0.05, P<0.01). The ear acupoints AH6a (Jiaogan) and CO10 (Shen) played an important role in differentiation diagnosis of excess syndrome and deficiency syndrome of stroke, followed by CO18 (Neifenmi), TF4 (Shenmen) and TG2p (Shenshangxian).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some ear acupoints with diagnostic value for stroke may provide basis of objective research for stroke diagnosis as well as identifying excess syndrome and deficiency syndrome of stroke.
authors.affiliation: Clinical College of Acupuncture and Osteology, Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230038, Anhui Province, China.
authors.forename: Pin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hua-Yuan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yi-Qin
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004423:Ear / Q000502:physiology*; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*