Feasibility study of transfer function model on electrocardiogram change caused by acupuncture.
BACKGROUND
Acupuncture treatments that regulate the heart are used to treat various clinical disorders and conditions. Although many studies have been conducted to measure quantitatively the effects of acupuncture, thus far, models that describe these effects have not been established. The purpose of this study was to derive a transfer function model of acupuncture stimulation within the electrocardiograms based on the periods before, during, and after acupuncture.


METHODS
Fourteen healthy subjects were included in this clinical trial. Five-minute electrocardiograms were captured before, during, and after acupuncture at HT7. For each period, signal-averaged electrocardiograms were created from all of the subjects' 5-min electrocardiograms for that period. Individual transfer functions, which has the highest average goodness of fit, were derived for each period pair. By averaging individual transfer functions, generalized transfer functions were derived.


RESULTS
The transfer function with the highest average goodness of fit was a fraction with 4th order numerator and 5th order denominator. Fourteen individual transfer functions were derived separately for each pair of periods: before and during acupuncture, during and after acupuncture, and before and after acupuncture. Three generalized transfer functions were derived by averaging individual transfer functions for each period pair.


CONCLUSIONS
The three generalized transfer functions that were derived may reflect the electrocardiogram changes caused by acupuncture. However, this clinical trial included only 14 subjects. Further studies with control groups and more subjects are needed. This clinical trial has been registered on the Clinical Research Information Service, Republic of Korea (No. KCT0001944). The first enrolment of subject started at 2 June 2015 and this trial was retrospectively registered at 14 June 2016.
Department of Human Informatics of Korean Medicine, Interdisciplinary Programs, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
Haebeom
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8130-5097
H
Lee
Department of Biofunctional Medicine & Diagnostics, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
Hyunho
H
Kim
Department of Electronics Engineering, Myongji University, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
Jungkuk
J
Kim
Department of Human Informatics of Korean Medicine, Interdisciplinary Programs, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.|Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
Hwan-Sup
HS
Oh
Department of Human Informatics of Korean Medicine, Interdisciplinary Programs, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.|Department of Biofunctional Medicine & Diagnostics, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
Young-Jae
YJ
Park
Department of Human Informatics of Korean Medicine, Interdisciplinary Programs, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea. bmppark@khu.ac.kr.|Department of Biofunctional Medicine & Diagnostics, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea. bmppark@khu.ac.kr.
Young-Bae
YB
Park
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055670:Medicine, Korean Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D055815:Young Adult
Acupuncture; ECG; Korean medicine; TCM; Transfer function