COMP201 Java Programming

1
Latent Structure Models Statistical Foundation
for TCM
Nevin L. Zhang The Hong Kong University of
Science Techology
2
Latent Variables in TCM Theories

• Symptoms
• intolerance to cold, cold limbs, and cold lumbus
  and back, loose stools, indigested grain in the
  stool.
• Syndromes
• kidney yang deficiency, kidney yin deficiency,
  kidney essence insuficiency

observed variables
manifest variables
latent variables
3
Where Do Latent Variables Come from?

• Latent variables introduced by human brain to
  explain regularities that we observe
• Example lighting from nearby buildings
• Regularity observed
• Lighting from several apartments were changing in
  synchrony
• My first conclusion must be a common cause
• I did not see it. So, latent variable introduced.
• What was the common latent cause?
• The same TV channel. Interpretation of latent
  variable.

4
Conjecture of TCM Theory

• Latent syndrome variables introduced to explain
  co-occurrence of symptoms.
• Example
• Observed regularity
• intolerance to cold, cold limbs, cold lumbus
  and back often occur together
• Latent variable introduced to explain the
  regularity
• Kidney yang failing to warm the body

5
Premise and Idea of the Latent Structure Approach

• Premise

Idea Reconstruct aspects TCM Theory via modern
data analysis
6
Analysis of Kidney Data

• Y0-Y34 manifest variables from data
• X0-X13 latent variables introduced by data
  analysis

7
Match between Model and TCM Theory

• TCM
• Kidney yang deficiency,
• failing to warm body
• ?intolerance to cold, cold limbs, cold lumbus and
  back,
• Spleen disorders
• ? loose stools, indigested grain in the stool

Good Match
8
Match between Model and TCM Theory

• TCM
• When kidney fails to control the urinary bladder,
  
• frequent urination, urine leakage after
  urination, frequent nocturnal urination,
• (in severe cases) urinary incontinence and
  nocturnal enuresis.

Good Match
9
Match between Model and TCM Theory

• TCM
• kidney essence insufficiency
• ?premature baldness, tinnitus, deafness, poor
  memory, trance, declination of intelligence,
  fatigue, weakness, and so on.

Good Match
10
Match between Model and TCM Theory

• TCM
• kidney yin deficiency
• ? dry throat, tidal fever or hectic fever,
  fidgeting, hot sensation in the five
  centers,insomnia, yellow urine, rapid and thready
  pulse, and so on.

Good Match
11
Significance of WorkStatistical Validation for
TCM Theory

• Supports objectivity of the syndrome factors
  kidney yang deficiency,
• Shows that statistical truths in TCM theory.

12
Significance of WorkModel-Based Diagnosis

• TCM Theory
• incomplete, qualitative, vagueness
• Diagnois based on TCM theory
• Subjective, variability across doctors

• Model
• Complete, quantitative, clear
• Model-based diagnosis
• Objective, no variability across doctors