Intra- and Interrater Reliability of Infrared Image Analysis of Facial Acupoints in Individuals with Facial Paralysis

Xulong Liu; Jinghui Feng; Jingmin Luan; Chenxi Dong; Hefei Fu; Zhenying Wu

doi:10.1155/2020/9079037

Intra- and Interrater Reliability of Infrared Image Analysis of Facial Acupoints in Individuals with Facial Paralysis

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Mar 3:2020:9079037. doi: 10.1155/2020/9079037. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Xulong Liu¹, Jinghui Feng¹, Jingmin Luan¹, Chenxi Dong¹, Hefei Fu¹, Zhenying Wu²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Computer and Communication Engineering, Northeastern University, Qinhuangdao 066004, Hebei Province, China.
² Department of Acupuncture and Massage, Qinhuangdao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qinhuangdao 066004, Hebei Province, China.

Abstract

Infrared thermography (IRT), as a noncontact tool for temperature measurement, is widely applied in the study of acupuncture modernization. The aim of this study was to assess the intra- and interrater reliability of infrared image analysis of facial acupoints of subjects with facial paralysis and determine the factors influencing the variability of the measured values. A total of 26 patients with facial paralysis on one side, aged 26 to 53 years, participated voluntarily in the study. Facial infrared thermal images of all participants were analyzed by two trained raters at two different time points at a one-week interval. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to determine the intra- and interrater reliability of IRT measurements. The ICC values varied depending on the analyzed acupoints. The reliability of temperature measurement ranged from moderate to excellent (intrarater, ICC ranged from 0.669 to 0.990; interrater, ICC ranged from 0.661 to 0.987). The reliability of temperature difference measurement ranged from low to excellent (intrarater, ICC ranged from 0.412 to 0.882; interrater, ICC ranged from 0.334 to 0.828). The main influencing factor of reliability is the incomplete consistency in selecting acupoint positions when repeatedly positioning the same acupoint manually. Despite low reliability of temperature difference measurement at some acupoints, some auxiliary measures can be used to reduce the error of manual positioning. Thus, infrared thermal imaging still has the potential to assist in objective and quantitative research on acupuncture.