Accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of abnormal meridians in erectile dysfunction patients based on infrared thermography: an electrophysiological technique study

Abstract

Abstract An increasing body of research has demonstrated that appropriate stimulation of the meridians and acupoints in the human body can play a preventative and therapeutic role in diseases. This study combines the use of infrared thermography with intelligent electrophysiological diagnostic system (iEDS) to accurately diagnose and apply transdermal low-frequency electrical stimulation to treat abnormal meridians in patients with erectile dysfunction (ED). The treatment protocol included 6 treatments (each lasting 30 min and performed twice a week). The International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Erection Hardness Scale were used to assess treatment results. A total of 62 patients were included in this study, with 31 patients in the treatment group and 31 patients in the sham therapy group. After six treatments, the treatment group improved significantly in IIEF-5 (15.52 ± 2.06 vs. 18.84 ± 2.67, p < 0.001), PHQ-9 (8.32 ± 6.33 vs. 4.87 ± 4.41, p < 0.001), GAD-7 (5.32 ± 5.08 vs. 2.94 ± 3.31, p = 0.003), and EHS (2.48 (2.00, 3.00) vs. 2.90 (2.00, 3.00), p = 0.007). After six sham treatment sessions, no improvements in any of the scores were reported in the sham therapy group. Following that, this group had an additional six treatments of regular therapy, which resulted in statistically significant improvements in IIEF-5 (16.65 ± 1.96 VS. 19.16 ± 2.40, p < 0.001), PHQ-9 (8.81 ± 6.25 VS. 4.97 ± 4.36, p < 0.001), GAD-7 (5.74 ± 5.18 VS. 3.68 ± 3.42, p < 0.001), and EHS (2.61 (2.00, 3.00) VS. 3.03 (2.00, 4.00), p = 0.003). No adverse events were reported regarding penile discomfort, pain, injury, or deformity. Clinical trials The study protocol is registered in the Clinical Trials Registry with the identification number ChiCTR2300070262.