Pulse Wave Harmony: Ancient Wisdoms for Modern Age

Abstract

Background: This research presents the use of photoplethsmography combined with Traditional Tibetan Pulse reading for the estimation of the three energies of a person: Activity, Transformation and Stability. The three energies derive from the four elements which are known from antiquity, both East and West, which considered life and the cosmos as an inseparable whole. Therefore the three energies composing the human functions are a reflection of our life as well as the cosmos. Method: Our work is presented in two studies. The first study presents the development of the technique of photoplethsmography to classify the three energies. The second study presents a validation of this methodology on mental stress and relaxation. Results: Energies classification achieved a sensitivity above 85% and specificity above 86%. Mental stress and relaxation could be significantly discriminated from baseline condition. Harmonic analysis gave further insights into the dynamic of the pulse wave under stress/relaxation. Conclusion: The photoplethsmogram contains information pertaining to the mental and physiological state of a person as interpreted with the Eastern energies concepts. The implication of this work points towards a holistic understanding and impact of human activities, health and its environment.

Influence of mental stress on the pulse wave features of photoplethysmograms

“…As shown in this study, PPG pulse wave features show lesser variance with stress levels than HR or heart rate variability, since pulse wave analysis is often affected by waveform distortion. Alternative methods for pulse wave analysis may solve the problem such as the harmonic analysis of short PPG segments, as shown by our recent study [30].…”