"Machine Learning Analysis of Lingual Colorimetry and MADRS Anxiety-Depression Score in Acupuncture Patients"
Researchers are investigating if there's a link between the colour of your tongue and how you're feeling emotionally, specifically regarding anxiety and depression. They'll use standard phone cameras to photograph the tongues of people having acupuncture, and these pictures will be analysed by computers. Participants will also complete a common questionnaire that measures anxiety and depression. The goal is to see if unique tongue colour patterns could become a new, easy way to help doctors understand a patient's mood without needing invasive tests. This could lead to earlier detection and better support for people dealing with these conditions in real-world clinic settings.
At a glance
What is this study about?
This research study is trying to find new ways to understand and measure anxiety and depression. You know how sometimes doctors look at your tongue as part of a general check-up? This study takes that idea a step further. We're looking to see if the specific colour features of a person's tongue, captured simply with a smartphone camera, can tell us something about their anxiety and depression levels.
Participants in the study are people who are already having acupuncture treatments. We'll take a quick, non-invasive photo of their tongue using a regular iPhone. At the same time, they'll fill out a widely used and reliable questionnaire that helps assess how much anxiety or depression they might be experiencing. Don't worry, taking part won't change your acupuncture treatment in any way.
The clever part comes next: powerful computer programs called 'machine learning' will analyse the tongue photos. These programs are designed to spot patterns that aren't obvious to the human eye. The main goal is to discover if there's a clear link between certain tongue colours and the scores on the anxiety and depression questionnaire. If we find such a link, it could mean that a simple tongue photo could become a helpful, quick, and non-invasive tool for doctors to get a better sense of how someone is feeling emotionally, potentially leading to earlier support and more tailored care.
Key takeaways
- The study aims to link tongue colour to anxiety/depression scores.
- It uses simple smartphone photos of the tongue.
- Participation includes a quick photo and a mood questionnaire.
- No changes to your current medical treatment.
- Could lead to a new, non-invasive way to assess mood.
- Data analysis uses advanced computer programs (machine learning).
Who may be eligible?
To join this study, you need to be at least 18 years old and speak French as your first language. You should also be seeing an acupuncturist for issues that include anxiety.
It's important that you don't have any medical conditions or take medicines that are known to change the colour of your tongue. Also, you can't have certain mental health conditions like psychosis or have issues with substance abuse. We need to make sure these things don't affect the study's results.
Before taking part, you shouldn't eat or drink anything (except water) or take any medication for an hour. This helps keep the tongue photos consistent. You also need to be happy to fill out the mood questionnaire and have your tongue photographed.
Could this study suit you?
Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.
- Are you 18 years old or older?
- Is French your first language?
- Are you having acupuncture for anxiety-related symptoms?
- Do you have any medical conditions or medicines that change your tongue colour?
- Are you comfortable having your tongue photographed?
- Are you willing to fill out a questionnaire about your mood?
What does participation involve?
If you decide to take part in this study, it's very straightforward and won't involve many steps.
First, you'll have a simple, quick, and completely non-invasive photo taken of your tongue using an iPhone camera. This is done carefully to make sure the lighting and position are consistent. At the same time, you'll be asked to fill out a questionnaire called the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), which helps assess anxiety and depression levels. This questionnaire is widely used and shouldn't take too long to complete.
That's it for your involvement! You won't need to change any of your usual acupuncture treatments, and there are no extra appointments or follow-up visits specifically for this study. The researchers will then use computer analysis on your tongue photo and questionnaire answers. The total duration of your active participation will only be the short time it takes to complete these two simple tasks.
Potential risks and benefits
Locations (1)
- Cabinet Médical d'AcupunctureVerified postcodeNarbonne, France· Recruiting
Common questions
Will taking part affect my acupuncture treatment?
No, your usual acupuncture treatment will continue exactly as planned. This study does not involve any changes to your care.
Is the tongue photography safe?
Yes, it's completely safe and non-invasive. We just take a picture of your tongue using a standard smartphone camera.
How long will it take to participate?
Your active participation will be very brief, just the short time it takes to have your tongue photographed and complete the questionnaire.
Who will see my photos and questionnaire answers?
Your data will be kept private and analysed by the research team. Your identity will be protected.
What is the study hoping to achieve?
We hope to discover if tongue colour patterns could be a useful, simple tool for doctors to assess anxiety and depression more easily.
How to find out more
Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.
Interested in taking part?
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