Abstract
Introduction
Children with atopic dermatitis (AD) experience significant sleep disruption due to nocturnal scratching. Our group has found distinct patterns of limb movements in contrast to control and PLMD patients. To expand on previous findings, our objective was to characterize timing and duration of scratch v. non-scratch movement in children with AD coincidentally undergoing polysomnography (PSG).
Methods
Retrospective chart review of PSG, video footage was synchronized with the EEG and limb electrode readings using a time/date generator and was then operationally classified as either scratching or non-scratching movement. Analysis of data was done using SPSS and groups were compared using an ANOVA.
Results
We analyzed four previously completed sleep studies in children with atopic dermatitis (1 female and 3 males), mean age years±SD 11.3±1.0, mean BMI±SD 21.9±7.1, mean AHI±SD 2.3±0.8. Average scratch duration was not significantly different by sleep stage, N1v.N2v.N3v.REM (mean scratch duration in seconds±SD= 9.0±1.5 v 6.3±3.2 v. 11.9±11.8 v. 6.3±7.3, respectively p=0.65). However, frequency of scratching events were more common during N2v.N1v.N3v.REM (mean scratching events±SD= 9.3±3.9 v 3.8±1.7 v. 4.3±4.3 v. 1.3±1.9, respectively p=0.02). Yet, given the duration of total time spent in sleep stages, minutes of scratching events occupied the largest percentage of N1v.N2v.N3v.REM (mean% ±SD= 3.9±0.9 v. 0.6±0.4 v. 0.4±0.2 v. 0.3±0.5, respectively, p<0.01). Interestingly, non-scratch related movements were not significantly different between sleep stages (p=0.2). However, non-scratch related movements trended to occupy the largest percentage of N1v.N2v.N3v.REM (mean% ±SD= 9.3±7.7 v. 2.1±1.6 v. 1.5±0.8 v. 1.9±1.4, respectively, p=0.05).
Conclusion
Our results suggest that scratching episodes in children with AD occur most commonly during N2 sleep, but occupy the largest % of N1 sleep. Future work will include comparing these limb movements to age and gender-matched allergic rhinitis patients.
Support
This study was unfunded.
0946 RETROSPECTIVE CHART REVIEW DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS OF LIMB MOVEMENTS ON POLYSOMNOGRAPHY IN CHILDREN WITH ATOPIC DERMATITIS
