title: The pulse spectrum analysis at three stages of pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study is the first to detect the radial pulses of the three diagnosis positions (inch, bar, and cubit) in both wrists (six positions) by pulse spectrum analysis. The purpose of this study was to identify the difference among pulses of the six positions at three stages of pregnancy and to examine whether the results of this study agree with the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which states that the cubit pulse shows unique changes for an expectant woman and that the pulse changes coincide with the progression of gestation.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and fifty (150) healthy pregnant women were divided into three groups according to gestational age (9-14 weeks, 20-28 weeks, and 32-37 weeks of gestation) and 50 healthy nonpregnant women were used as controls. A pulse analyzer was used to detect the six positions of the radial pulses and to calculate the 10 relative energy values of the spectrum's harmonics of the six positions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results show that most of the 10 relative spectral energy values of the right and left cubits are statistically (p<0.01) higher than those of the inch for the pregnant women as compared with the nonpregnant women. In addition, the 10 relative spectral energy values of the six positions are not identical at the three stages of pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cubit pulse is unique for pregnant women, which is consistent with the theory of TCM. In addition, the pulse conditions at the three stages of pregnancy are dissimilar.
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yin-Tzu
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Huey-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chin-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Jaung-Geng
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chun-Chien
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Hong-Song
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fun-jou
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D011674:Pulse; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods; D014953:Wrist; D055815:Young Adult