Disruption of Pathological Patterns in a Young Population with Dysfunctional Breathing

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Psychosomatic Medicine
• Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnostics

Background:

• Dysfunctional breathing (DB) involves abnormal breathing patterns often linked to psychogenic factors without organic disease.
• Limited research explores the diagnostic relationship between DB and traditional pathological patterns.
• Acupuncture and herbal therapies are proposed for DB, necessitating a diagnostic framework.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between dysfunctional breathing and specific pathological patterns (qi/yin deficiencies, phlegm, cold-heat).
• To examine the influence of age, gender, and DB status on these pathological patterns.
• To correlate psychological distress with identified pathological patterns in college students.

Main Methods:

• 237 college students completed the Korean version of the General Health Questionnaire-30 (K-GHQ-30) and four pathological pattern questionnaires.
• The Korean version of the Nijmegen Questionnaire classified participants into DB and non-DB groups.
• Simple regression and two-way MANCOVA models analyzed the effects of age, gender, and DB on pattern scores.

Main Results:

• DB and female groups exhibited higher scores for qi/yin deficiencies, phlegm, and cold-heat patterns compared to non-DB and male groups.
• Age significantly affected most pattern scores, while gender had a minimal main effect.
• K-GHQ-30 scores positively correlated with pathological pattern scores, linking psychological disturbance to these patterns.

Conclusions:

• Pathological pattern questionnaires can help identify patterns associated with DB.
• Findings suggest DB is linked to specific traditional patterns and psychological distress.
• These insights can guide the development of individually tailored alternative therapies for DB.