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eCAM 2004 1(1):35-40; doi:10.1093/ecam/neh016
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© Oxford University Press, 2004.

Review

Functional Somatic Syndromes: Emerging Biomedical Models and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Steven Tan, Kirsten Tillisch and Emeran Mayer

Center for Neurovisceral Sciences and Women's Health, Department of Medicine, Physiology and Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA

The so-called functional somatic syndromes comprise a group of disorders that are primarily symptom-based, multisystemic in presentation and probably involve alterations in mind-brain-body interactions. The emerging neurobiological models of allostasis/allostatic load and of the emotional motor system show striking similarities with concepts used by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to understand the functional somatic disorders and their underlying pathogenesis. These models incorporate a macroscopic perspective, accounting for the toll of acute and chronic traumas, physical and emotional stressors and the complex interactions between the mind, brain and body. The convergence of these biomedical models with the ancient paradigm of TCM may provide a new insight into scientifically verifiable diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for these common disorders.

Keywords: functional somatic syndromes – allostasis – emotional motor system – stress – mind-brain-body interactions

For reprints and all correspondence: Emeran A. Mayer, Center for Neurovisceral Sciences and Women's Health, VA GLAHS, CURE Bldg. 115, Rm. 223, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90073, USA. Tel: 310-312-9276 Fax: 310-794-2864 E-mail: emayer{at}ucla.edu


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