Basic Tongue Diagnosis Indicators for Pattern Identification in Stroke Using a Decision Tree Method

  • Lee, Ju Ah (Medical Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine) ;
  • Lee, Jungsup (Korean National Rehabilitation Center) ;
  • Ko, Mi Mi (Medical Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine) ;
  • Kang, Byoung-Kab (Medical Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine) ;
  • Lee, Myeong Soo (Medical Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine)
  • Received : 2012.07.02
  • Accepted : 2012.10.15
  • Published : 2012.12.31

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to specify major tongue diagnostic indicators and evaluate their significance in discriminating pattern identification subtypes in stroke patients. Methods: This study used a community based multi-center observational design. Participants (n=1,502) were stroke patients admitted to 11 oriental medical university hospitals between December 2006 and February 2010. To determine which tongue indicator affected each pattern identification, a decision tree analysis of the chi-square automatic interaction detector (CHAID) algorithm was performed. The chi-squared test was used as the criterion in splitting data with a p-value less than 0.05 for division, which is the main procedure for developing a decision tree. The minimum sample size for each node was specified as n =10, and branching was limited to two levels. Results: From the 9 tongue diagnostic indicators, 6 major tongue indicators (red tongue, pale tongue, yellow fur, white fur, thick fur, and teeth-marked tongue) were identified through the decision tree analysis. Furthermore, each pattern identification was composed of specific combinations of the 6 major tongue indicators. Conclusions: This study suggests that the 6 tongue indicators identified through the decision tree analysis can be used to discriminate pattern identification subtypes in stroke patients. However, it is still necessary to re-evaluate other pattern identification indicators to further the objectivity and reliability of traditional Korean medicine.

Keywords

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