Abstract
Infrared thermography (IRT), as a noncontact tool for temperature measurement, is widely applied in the study of acupuncture modernization. The aim of this study was to assess the intra- and interrater reliability of infrared image analysis of facial acupoints of subjects with facial paralysis and determine the factors influencing the variability of the measured values. A total of 26 patients with facial paralysis on one side, aged 26 to 53 years, participated voluntarily in the study. Facial infrared thermal images of all participants were analyzed by two trained raters at two different time points at a one-week interval. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to determine the intra- and interrater reliability of IRT measurements. The ICC values varied depending on the analyzed acupoints. The reliability of temperature measurement ranged from moderate to excellent (intrarater, ICC ranged from 0.669 to 0.990; interrater, ICC ranged from 0.661 to 0.987). The reliability of temperature difference measurement ranged from low to excellent (intrarater, ICC ranged from 0.412 to 0.882; interrater, ICC ranged from 0.334 to 0.828). The main influencing factor of reliability is the incomplete consistency in selecting acupoint positions when repeatedly positioning the same acupoint manually. Despite low reliability of temperature difference measurement at some acupoints, some auxiliary measures can be used to reduce the error of manual positioning. Thus, infrared thermal imaging still has the potential to assist in objective and quantitative research on acupuncture.
Highlights
Acupuncture, as an alternative medical treatment, is commonly used in the treatment of pain, arthritis, and facial paralysis, etc. in clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by stimulating certain specific acupoints [1, 2]
Erefore, in order to assess whether infrared thermography (IRT) could become an objective and reliable auxiliary tool in acupuncture research, the main purpose of this study was to evaluate the intra- and interrater reliability of IRT measurements in different facial acupoint regions and determine the factors inducing the variability of the observed readings, via analyzing facial thermal images in Bell’s palsy patients as a study case
Results in this research suggest that the intra- and interrater reliability level of temperature measurement of IRT is acceptable in facial acupoints on patients with facial paralysis
Summary
Acupuncture, as an alternative medical treatment, is commonly used in the treatment of pain, arthritis, and facial paralysis, etc. in clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by stimulating certain specific acupoints [1, 2]. Erefore, it is necessary to apply modern medical imaging methods to study the specificity of acupoints. In recent years, infrared thermography (IRT), as a noncontact and nonradiative method for estimating skin temperature of the human body, has been widely used to assess peripheral effects of acupuncture and assist in the diagnosis of some diseases by measuring temperature changes at acupuncture points under certain physiological conditions [3, 4]. Litscher et al [5] applied a thermal imaging camera to measure skin temperature (Tsk) distribution at acupoints during acupuncture treatment in 10 healthy subjects. Lin et al [6] used IRT to monitor skin temperature changes of human body in 36 healthy female subjects at acupoints during moxibustion and discovered that the maximum temperature increased by 11°C at the SP6 acupoint. Huang et al [8] used IRT
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
