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Open Access Issue
Discussion on the pathogenesis and treatment of mild cognitive disorder based on the connection between yang qi and "sanjiao-xuanfu"
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025, 48(10): 1441-1446
Published: 30 October 2025
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Mild cognitive disorder is a condition that lies between normal age-related decline and dementia, primarily characterized by a decline in cognitive functions such as memory and executive function. In traditional Chinese medicine, it falls under the categories of "amnesia" and "consumptive disease," closely linked to dysfunction of the "spirit." The principle that "yang qi nourishes the spirit when refined" originates from the Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor. It explains how the abundance and regulated circulation of yang qi influence the proper functioning of the human spirit. Yang qi generates, nourishes, and protects the spirit′s functions, a process dependent on the unimpeded flow through the sanjiao and the xuanfu. Yang qi originates from kidney yang, circulates through sanjiao, nourishes the upper, middle, and lower zang-fu organs, generates vital substances, and regulates the opening and closing of xuanfu. This enables it to generate the spirit, nourish vital substances, and defend against external pathogens. These three elements coordinate and interact to facilitate the operation of spirit. With aging, excessive consumption of rich and greasy foods, or emotional distress, yang qi gradually becomes deficient. This impairs the circulation of qi and fluids within the "sanjiao-xuanfu," hindering the transformation of qi, blood, and essence. Consequently, phlegm-dampness, static blood, and turbid toxins accumulate internally, disturbing the clear orifices. Among these factors, kidney yang deficiency impairs sanjiao qi transformation and deprives the xuanfu of nourishment, forming the foundational pathogenesis for mild cognitive disorder. Deficiency-induced stagnation, coupled with phlegm-stasis mutual entanglement, ascends to disturb the xuanfu, constituting a key factor in cognitive disorder onset. Clinically, treatment must adhere to the core pathogenesis of yang deficiency, adopting the therapeutic principle of "regulating the sanjiao and opening xuanfu." Restoring xuanfu patency and sanjiao function harmonizes qi and blood throughout the body, thereby restoring mental consciousness. This paper explores the relationship between yang qi and the spirit, examining the connections between yang qi, sanjiao, and xuanfu. It aims to provide new insights and approaches for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of mild cognitive disorder.

Open Access Original Article Issue
Characteristic metabolic and microbial profiles in acute ischemic stroke patients with phlegm-heat pattern
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences 2023, 10(3): 247-256
Published: 10 June 2023
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Objective

To explore the characteristics of plasma metabolites, feces gut microbiota and the crosstalk between gut microbiota and host metabolism in patients with acute ischemic stroke and phlegm-heat pattern (AIS-PHP).

Methods

The metabolic and microbiome profiles of 20 AIS-PHP patients and 20 healthy controls (HCs) were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based metabolomics and 16s rDNA sequencing, respectively. The covariation between LC-MS/MS-based metabolite data and 16s rDNA sequence data was presented.

Results

Distinct alterations in the plasma metabolic phenotype of AIS-PHP patients were found, in which 16 metabolites differed significantly between the AIS-PHP patients and the HCs. These metabolites represented 17 different metabolic pathways, including amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and nucleotide metabolism. Additionally, significant alterations of gut microbiota composition and taxon were revealed at the phylum level between the AIS-PHP patients and the HCs. In AIS-PHP, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria dominated. Moreover, some microbes that differed between the 2 groups manifested a sole association with certain metabolites, such as the connection between Bacteroides and inosine and between Lachnospiraceae_unclassified and hypoxanthine.

Conclusion

The present study preliminarily investigated the metabolomic and gut microbiome characteristics of AIS-PHP patient indicators. The link between metabolic and microbial dysbiosis in AIS-PHP sheds new light on the function of gut microbiota and associated metabolomics in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Open Access Letter to the Editor Issue
Tiger face: characteristic manifestations of Meige syndrome
Brain Science Advances 2021, 7(4): 263-265
Published: 10 January 2022
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Meige syndrome is a neurological disorder discovered by Henry Meige, a French neurologist. The initial clinical manifestations are blepharospasm in both eyes and the characteristic facial appearance of tiger face lines. The patient displays an abnormal facial expression. Trauma, psychological, endocrine, and pharmacological factors may play a role in secondary Meige syndrome. Here we describe these clinical signs with pictures.

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