Models for the Study of Whole Systems

Abstract

This article summarizes a network and complex systems science model for research on whole systems of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) such as homeopathy and traditional Chinese medicine. The holistic concepts of networks and nonlinear dynamical complex systems are well matched to the global and interactive perspectives of whole systems of CAM, whereas the reductionistic science model is well matched to the isolated local organ, cell, and molecular mechanistic perspectives of pharmaceutically based biomedicine. Whole systems of CAM are not drugs with specific actions. The diagnostic and therapeutic approaches of whole systems of CAM produce effects that involve global and patterned shifts across multiple subsystems of the person as a whole. For homeopathy, several characteristics of complex systems, including the probabilistic nature of attractor patterns, variable sensitivity of complex systems to initial conditions, and emergent behaviors in the evolution of a system in its full environmental context over time, could help account for the mixed basic science and controlled clinical trial research findings, in contrast with the consistently positive outcomes of observational studies in the literature. Application of theories and methods from complex systems and network science can open a new era of advances in understanding factors that lead to good versus poor individual global outcome patterns and to rational triage of patients to one type of care over another. The growing reliance on complex systems thinking and systems biology for cancer research affords a unique opportunity to bridge between the CAM and conventional medical worlds with some common language and conceptual models.

Thinking Inside the Box: Simple Methods to Evaluate Complex Treatments

“…As whole systems behaviors are emergent (i.e., unexpected), their outputs can be difficult to predict even with thorough knowledge of the deterministic actions of their elements (Bell & Koithan, 2006;Elder et al, 2006;Koithan et al, 2007;Ritenbaugh, Verhoef, Fleishman, Boon, & Leis, 2003). The "whole systems" research initiative is intended to include all system elements that might interact with or influence whole system outcomes.…”

Nonlinear Response Amplification Mechanisms for Low Doses of Natural Product Nanomedicines: Dynamical Interactions with the Recipient Complex Adaptive System

“…Restoring optimal complexity to system dynamics underlies the therapeutic goal [59,60,88,104]. Systemic resilience to future stressors emerges with a meta-flexibility to adapt more effectively to environmental stressors/agents that impinge on the system.…”

“…The core concept is to use the NPs not as pharmacological ligands for specific local cell receptors responsible for specific symptoms, but rather as low dose, pulsed discrete danger signals to mobilize the biological adaptation networks of the whole organism [21]. The treatment goal is to stimulate endogenous plasticity via self-amplifying functional networked changes across the organism as a whole, rather than to suppress expression of specific symptoms [59,60]. If they occur, the majority of "side effects" in homeopathy are early transient worsening of pre-existing symptoms, prior to evolution of improvements [1,61].…”

“…The multiple changes that follow a single dose can evolve across the organism over a period of minutes to hours (acute conditions) to months to years (chronic conditions) in homeopathy. The evolution of changes across the organism would reflect the complex interconnected nature of the person as a biological network [21,59,60].One previous clinical trial documented oscillatory, sinusoidal response curves for several different outcomes over time to a verum homeopathically-prepared medicine compared with placebo [73]. When clinical improvement does occur, it can be reversed by overly frequent repetition of the homeopathic nanomedicine doses.…”

“…However, like older people, unhealthy individuals of any age, i.e., people with congestive heart failure, also exhibit less heart rate variability complexity. In this case, reduced complexity in heart rate variability leaves the individual more susceptible to aberrant beats and resultant life-threatening arrhythmias.Restoring optimal complexity to system dynamics underlies the therapeutic goal [59,60,88,104]. Systemic resilience to future stressors emerges with a meta-flexibility to adapt more effectively to environmental stressors/agents that impinge on the system.…”