OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between Chinese medicine syndrome type and psychological factor in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD).

METHODSWith an epidemiologic method adopted, 297 FD patients received psychologic mensuration and their Chinese medicine syndrome type was differentiated. The distribution of Chinese medicine syndrome type in FD patients was studied and the differences among various types were analyzed using self-rating depression scale (SDS) and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS).

RESULTS(1) Patients' Chinese medicine syndrome could be differentiated into 5 types: the Pi-deficiency qi-stagnancy type (I), the Gan-qi accumulation type (II), the Gan-qi invading Wei type (III), the dampness-heat stagnating in Wei type (IV) and the Pi-Wei qi-deficiency type (V). Patients of type I (96 cases, 32.3%) held the dominant share. (2) Depressive and anxiety states presented in patients with various syndrome types, among them, patients of type II held the highest percentage of depressive status (30 cases, 62.5%), type III held the highest percentage of anxiety state (19 cases, 35.8%), while type IV possessed the lowest percentages of both. (3) Analysis between symptoms and syndrome types showed that post-prandial fullness presented in most patients of types V and I; early satiation presented more prominently in patients of type V; upper abdominal pain presented frequently in patients of types II and V, and upper abdominal burning sensation presented more evidently in patients of type IV. (4) Comparisons of SDS and SAS scores in patients with different syndrome types showed that the highest SDS score presented in type II, highest SAS score presented in type III; and the lowest scores of SDS and SAS all presented in type IV.

CONCLUSIONSPsychological states are different in FD patients with various syndrome types. The Chinese medicine pathogenetic mechanisms of FD is complex in deficiency/excessive nature, and the condition of disease is closely related with organs Gan and Pi.