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Actigraphy effectively assesses sleep disturbances in children with atopic dermatitis

Actigraphy was shown to be a convenient tool for assessing sleep disturbances in children with atopic dermatitis, according to study findings.

Researchers used actigraphy and polysomnography to measure sleep parameters in 72 patients with atopic dermatitis and 32 healthy controls 18 years old or younger. The researchers also measured urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin levels, serum cytokines and total allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels. Atopic dermatitis (AD) severity was measured using the Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index.

Patients with AD were found to have significantly reduced sleep efficiency, longer sleep onset latency, more fragmented sleep and less non-rapid eye movement sleep compared with controls.

A SCORAD index score of 48.7 or higher was a strong predictor of poor sleep efficiency, with a sensitivity of 83.3% and specificity of 75%, according to the researchers.

Actigraphy results were noted to be well-correlated with those of polysomnography, and the researchers recommended use of the method as an alternative for further sleep studies.

Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.