Eun-Su Jang

Development and Validation of a Personality Assessment Instrument for Traditional Korean Medicine: Sasang Personality Questionnaire

Objective. Sasang typology is a traditional Korean medicine based on the biopsychosocial perspectives of Neo-Confucianism and utilizes medical herbs and acupuncture for type-specific treatment. This study was designed to develop and validate the Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) for future use in the assessment of personality based on Sasang typology. Design and Methods. We selected questionnaire items using internal consistency analysis and examined construct validity with explorative factor analysis using 245 healthy participants. Test-retest reliability as well as convergent validity were examined. Results. The 14-item SPQ showed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbachs alpha = .817) and test-retest reliability (r = .837). Three extracted subscales, SPQ-behavior, SPQ-emotionality, and SPQ-cognition, were found, explaining 55.77% of the total variance. The SPQ significantly correlated with Temperament and Character Inventory novelty seeking (r = .462), harm avoidance (r = −.390), and NEO Personality Inventory extraversion (r = .629). The SPQ score of the So-Eum (24.43 ± 4.93), Tae-Eum (27.33 ± 5.88), and So-Yang (30.90 ± 5.23) types were significantly different from each other (P < .01). Conclusion. Current results demonstrated the reliability and validity of the SPQ and its subscales that can be utilized as an objective instrument for conducting personalized medicine research incorporating the biopsychosocial perspective.

Current Researches on the Methods of Diagnosing Sasang Constitution: An Overview

Sasang constitution diagnosis has traditionally been conducted by a Sasang constitutional medicine (SCM) doctor who examines the external appearance, temperament and various symptoms of an individual and then collectively analyzes this information to determine their own constitutions. However, because this process is subjective and not quantitative, many researchers have been attempting to develop objective and reasonable methods of determining constitutions. In Korea, even though a wide range of research regarding SCM has been conducted, most of the work has not been revealed internationally. So in this review, the authors have searched the Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine, as well as other Korean domestic journal databases and Pubmed for research regarding modernized constitution diagnosis methods so to provide the understanding of current research state and outlook for future research.

A Study on the Reliability of Sasang Constitutional Body Trunk Measurement

Objective. Body trunk measurement for human plays an important diagnostic role not only in conventional medicine but also in Sasang constitutional medicine (SCM). The Sasang constitutional body trunk measurement (SCBTM) consists of the 5-widths and the 8-circumferences which are standard locations currently employed in the SCM society. This study suggests to what extent a comprehensive training can improve the reliability of the SCBTM. Methods. We recruited 10 male subjects and 5 male observers with no experience of anthropometric measurement. We conducted measurements twice before and after a comprehensive training. Relative technical error of measurement (%TEMs) was produced to assess intra and inter observer reliabilities. Results. Post-training intra-observer %TEMs of the SCBTM were 0.27% to 1.85% reduced from 0.27% to 6.26% in pre-training, respectively. Post-training inter-observer %TEMs of those were 0.56% to 1.66% reduced from 1.00% to 9.60% in pre-training, respectively. Post-training % total TEMs which represent the whole reliability were 0.68% to 2.18% reduced from maximum value of 10.18%. Conclusion. A comprehensive training makes the SCBTM more reliable, hence giving a sufficiently confident diagnostic tool. It is strongly recommended to give a comprehensive training in advance to take the SCBTM.

A genome-wide scan for the Sasang constitution in a Korean family suggests significant linkage at chromosomes 8q11.22-23 and 11q22.1-3.

OBJECTIVES We aim to identify the genetic loci responsible for Sasang constitution type, which is important for effective personalized treatments in traditional Korean medicine. SUBJECTS Forty (40) individuals in a Korean family were recruited for linkage analysis and 310 unrelated individuals for association analysis to confirm the linkage result. OUTCOME MEASURES Genome-wide linkage analysis was performed for the Korean family using the Affymetrix 500K arrays. MERLIN software was used for multipoint nonparametric linkage (NPL) analysis. The significant candidate regions in linkage analysis were also investigated with association analysis of independent 310 individuals. RESULTS Linkage analysis showed four significant peaks, 3q27.3, 8p11.21, 8q11.22-23, and 11q22.1-3, whose NPL Z scores are greater than 5.0. Among the significant loci, the 8q11.22-23 and 11q22.1-3 regions were supported by independent association analysis at the level of p < 0.05. CONCLUSIONS The 8q11.22-23 and 11q22.1-3 regions were suggested as the candidate region for significant linkage to Sasang constitution.

Copy number variations (CNVs) identified in Korean individuals

BackgroundCopy number variations (CNVs) are deletions, insertions, duplications, and more complex variations ranging from 1 kb to sub-microscopic sizes. Recent advances in array technologies have enabled researchers to identify a number of CNVs from normal individuals. However, the identification of new CNVs has not yet reached saturation, and more CNVs from diverse populations remain to be discovered.ResultsWe identified 65 copy number variation regions (CNVRs) in 116 normal Korean individuals by analyzing Affymetrix 250 K Nsp whole-genome SNP data. Ten of these CNVRs were novel and not present in the Database of Genomic Variants (DGV). To increase the specificity of CNV detection, three algorithms, CNAG, dChip and GEMCA, were applied to the data set, and only those regions recognized at least by two algorithms were identified as CNVs. Most CNVRs identified in the Korean population were rare (<1%), occurring just once among the 116 individuals. When CNVs from the Korean population were compared with CNVs from the three HapMap ethnic groups, African, European, and Asian; our Korean population showed the highest degree of overlap with the Asian population, as expected. However, the overlap was less than 40%, implying that more CNVs remain to be discovered from the Asian population as well as from other populations. Genes in the novel CNVRs from the Korean population were enriched for genes involved in regulation and development processes.ConclusionCNVs are recently-recognized structural variations among individuals, and more CNVs need to be identified from diverse populations. Until now, CNVs from Asian populations have been studied less than those from European or American populations. In this regard, our study of CNVs from the Korean population will contribute to the full cataloguing of structural variation among diverse human populations.

Validation of Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) with Positive and Negative Affection Schedule and Body Mass Index

Abstract Validation of Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) with Posit ive and Negative Affection Schedule and Body Mass Index Han Chae*, Soo-Jin Lee**, Soo-Hyun Park***, Eun-Su Jang****, Si-Woo Lee**** * Div. of Longevity and Biofunctional Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University** Dept. of Psychotherapy, Kyungil University*** Dept. of Occupational therapy, Yonsei University**** Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine 1. Objectives The purpose of this study was to validate the Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) with Positive And Negative Affection Schedule(PANAS) for emotionality and Body Mass Index (BMI) for body constituents. 2. Methods The SPQ along with Questionnaire for Sasang Constitution Classification (QSCC) II, PANAS, BMI was measured with 232 College students. The correlation coefficient was measured with Pearson correlation between SPQ and PANAS, BMI. The SPQ, PANAS, and BMI score of each Sasang constitution groups based on QSCCII were compared using analysis of variance and profile analysis.

Clinical Validation of the Sasang Personality Questionnaire

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to validate the Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), based on the diagnosis of Sasang constitutional medicine clinical specialist.

Predicting Sasang Constitution Using Body-Shape Information

Objectives. Body measurement plays a pivotal role not only in the diagnosis of disease but also in the classification of typology. Sasang constitutional medicine, which is one of the forms of Traditional Korean Medicine, is considered to be strongly associated with body shape. We attempted to determine whether a Sasang constitutional analytic tool based on body shape information (SCAT-B) could predict Sasang constitution (SC). Methods. After surveying 23 Oriental medical clinics, 2,677 subjects were recruited and body shape information was collected. The SCAT-Bs for males and females were developed using multinomial logistic regression. Stepwise forward-variable selection was applied using the score statistic and Walds test. Results. The predictive rates of the SCAT-B for Tae-eumin (TE), Soeumin (SE), and Soyangin (SY) types in males and females were 80.2%, 56.9%, and 37.7% (males) and 69.3%, 38.9%, and 50.0% (females) in the training set and were 74%, 70.1%, and 35% (males), and 67.4%, 66.3%, and 53.7% (females) in the test set, respectively. Higher constitutional probability scores showed a trend for association with higher predictability. Conclusions. This study shows that the Sasang constitutional analytic tool, which is based on body shape information, may be relatively highly predictive of TE type but may be less predictive when used for SY type.

Comparison between Diagnostic Results of the Sasang Constitutional Analysis Tool (SCAT) and a Sasang Constitution Expert

Abstract Comparison between Diagnostic Results of the Sasang Constitutional Analysis Tool (SCAT) and a Sasang Constitution Expert Jun-Hyeong Do, Ji-Ho Nam, Eun-Su Jang, Jun-Su Jang, Jang-Woong Kim, Young-Su Kim, Na-Hye Kim, Soon-Man Han * , Jong-Dug Kim * Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, * Sa-dang Korean Medical ClinicObjectivesRecently, Sasang Constitutional Analysis Tool (SCAT) was developed using face, body shape, questionnaire, and voice information. The purpose of this paper is to analysis the characteristics of SCAT in detail for the subjects whose Sasang Constitutional (SC) type was confirmed clearly.Methods1) The SC types of 108 patients were diagnosed by an expert of Sasang constitutional medicine through the observation of improvements after taking more than 20 packs of herbal medicine prescribed2) The diagnostic results of SCAT were acquired for the patients.3) Comparison between diagnostic results of the SCAT and expert was performed according to SC probability difference, the number of packs of herbal medicine prescribed, the number of hospital visits, and age.Results1) The concordance rate was 65.9% and 59.4% in the male and female groups, respectively.2) Overall, the concordance rate increased as the SC probability difference increased. In case of more than 5% SC probability difference, it increased up to 71.0% and 66.7% in the male and female groups, respectively.3) The concordance rate did not show any trend as the number of packs of herbal medicine prescribed and the number of hospital visits increased.4) The higher concordance rate was observed in Taeeumin, Soyangin, and 20s ∼ 40s groups of male patients, and in Soyangin, 20s, and 40s groups of female patients.Conclusions The strong and weak points of SCAT were observed and they will contribute to the improvement of SCAT performance.Key Words: Sasang Constitutional Medicine, Sasang Constitutional Diagnosis, Sasang Constitutional Analysis Tool, Concordance Rate

The Sasang Constitution as an Independent Risk Factor for Metabolic Syndrome: Propensity Matching Analysis

The Sasang Constitutional Medicine is a traditional Korean customized medicine that classifies people into four types: Tae-eumin (TE), Soyangin (SY), Soeumin (SE), and Taeyangin. The aim of this study was to show whether the Sasang Constitution (SC) could be an independent risk factor for the metabolic syndrome (MS). Totally, 3,334 subjects from 24 Korean medicine clinics participated in this study. A one-way ANOVA for the continuous variables and a chi-square test for the prevalence of MS were conducted. A logistic regression was conducted to calculate the propensity score and the odds ratios (ORs). The prevalence for MS in TE, SY, and SE was 50.6%, 30.9%, and 17.7% (P < 0.001) before matching, and 36.7%, 28.6% and 28.2% (P = 0.042) after matching, respectively. The TE was associated with an increased OR for MS compared with the SE and SY in both crude (OR 4.773, 95% CI 3.889–5.859, and OR 2.292, 95% CI 1.942–2.704, resp.) and matched groups (OR 1.476, 95% CI 1.043–2.089, and OR 1.452, 95% CI 1.026–2.053, resp.). This study reveals that the SC, especially the TE type, could be considered as a risk element for MS even in people with otherwise similar physical characteristics.