The Correction Research Between Syndrome Type Of Tension-type Headache And Alexithymia

Objectives: To probe the relativity between Alexithymia and tension-type headache,and in order to further research the correlativity between TCM syndrome type and Alexithymia in the sick who had tension-type headache.To provide a objective base for the clinical therapy of traditional Chinese medicine for tension-type headache,it opens up a new way for the treatment of tension-type headache.Methods: We referred to the international headache classification(second edition),2004ICHD-R1,then divided 168 involved patients into a liver-qi stagnation andp hlegm stagnation type,a blood-stasis type,a phlegm and turbid stagnation type,a kidney deficiency type,a blood-deficiency type,a liver-yang excess type according to TCM syndrome differentiation.Each patient was assessed by Toronto Alexithymia Scale,Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA)and Hamilton depressions cales(HAMD).The dates were analyzed with SPSS18.0.Measurement data described as x ±s.Count data represented as percentage.All tests were two-sided test,the test level was p<0.05.Descriptive statistics,chi-squaretest,Spearman correlational analyses(data did not obey the normal distribution)and Pearson correlational analyses(data obeyed the normal distribution)were apllied.Results:1 General demographic information:The sex distribution of patients with tension-type headache was no difference in all ages(p=0.199>0.05).Knowledge worker were likely to be patients with alexithymia.The higher of cultural degree,the more easily to happen alexithymia.2 The total incidence of alexithymia was 64.8%,of anxiety disorder was 40.3%,of depressive disorder was 70.4%.The incidence of alexithymia among various TCM syndrome types was as follows: liver-qi stagnation and phlegm stagnation type was 85.3%,blood-stasis type was 74.3%,phlegm and turbid stagnation type was 70%,kidney deficiency type was40%,blood-deficiency type was 46.3%,liver-yang excess type was statistical significance(p=0.001<0.05).3 The correlation between TCM syndrome types of tension-type headache and alexithymia had significant statistical significance(r=-0.436,p=0.001).4 There had no correlation between alexithymia scores and anxiety disorder scores,theresult had no significant statistical significance(r=-0.026,p=0.701>0.05);There had a correlation between alexithymia scores and depressive disorder scores,the result had significant statistical significance(r=0.950,p=0.001<0.05).5 The correlation coefficients between alexithymia scores and anxiety disorder scores among liver-qi stagnation and phlegm stagnation type headache,blood-stasis type headache,phlegm and turbid stagnation type headache,kidney deficiency type headache,blood-deficiency type headache,liver-yang excess type headache were as follows: r=0.08,p=0.493;r=-0.233,p=0.274;r=-0.057,p=0.744;r=-0.254,p=0.280;r=-0.007,p=0.953;r=0.137,p=0.575.The results show that there was no correlation between alexithymia scores and anxiety disorder scores among various TCM syndrome types.The correlation coefficients between alexithymia scores and depressive disorder scores among liver-qi stagnation and phlegm stagnation type headache,blood-stasis type headache,phlegm andturbid stagnation type headache,kidney deficiency type headache,blood-deficiency type headache,liver-yang excess type headache were as follows: r=0.906,p=0.001;r=0.986,p=0.001;r=0.973 p=0.001;r=0.962,p=0.001;r=0.917,p=0.001;r=0.881,p=0.001.The results show that there was a correlation between alexithymia scores anddepressive disorder scores among various TCM syndrome types.Conclusion:1 There had a correlation between alexithymia scores and TCM syndrome types.The alexithymia scores was on the rise in the following order: liver-yang excess type headache,kidney deficiency type headache,blood-deficiency type headache,phlegm and turbid stagnation type headache,blood-stasis type headache,liver-qi stagnation and phlegm stagnation type headache.2 The incidence of alexithymia among various TCM syndrome types had significant difference。The incidence was a degressive trend from the former type to the latter type,in turn,among liver-qi stagnation and phlegm stagnation type headache,blood-stasis type\headache,phlegm and turbid stagnation type headache,kidney deficiency type headache,blood-deficiency type headache,and liver-yang excess type headache.It is concluded that depression and phlegm relocated to each other,phlegm turbidity and blood stasis played an important role in the in the process of the occurrence alexithymia in the patients with tension-type headache.In the treatment of TTH,resolve depression phlegm、resolve phlegm and downbearing the turbid and promoting blood circulation to remove bloodstasis should be given attention.3 There had no correlation between alexithymia scores and anxiety disorder scores among various TCM syndrome types.But there had positive correlation between alexithymia scoresand depressive disorder scores among various TCM syndrome types.There had positive correlation between alexithymia scores and depressive disorder scores in the patients with tension-type headache.So psychological factor,especially depression plays an important role in the process of alexithymia.4 The incidence and scores of alexithymia among various TCM syndrome types had significant difference.So alexithymia could be used as a objective indicators to differentiate the syndrome of tension-type headache.Especially,it provided theoretical basis to differentiation of symptoms and signs forclassification of syndrome of TTH.