Use of technology for the objective evaluation of scratching behavior: A systematic reviewCapsule Summary
Introduction: Pruritus is a common symptom across various dermatologic conditions, with a negative impact on quality of life. Devices to quantify itch objectively primarily use scratch as a proxy. This review compares and evaluates the performance of technologies aimed at objectively measuring scrat...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Book |
| Published: |
Elsevier,
2021-12-01T00:00:00Z.
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| Online Access: | Connect to this object online. |
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| Summary: | Introduction: Pruritus is a common symptom across various dermatologic conditions, with a negative impact on quality of life. Devices to quantify itch objectively primarily use scratch as a proxy. This review compares and evaluates the performance of technologies aimed at objectively measuring scratch behavior. Methods: Articles identified from literature searches performed in October 2020 were reviewed and those that did not report a primary statistical performance measure (eg, sensitivity, specificity) were excluded. The articles were independently reviewed by 2 authors. Results: The literature search resulted in 6231 articles, of which 24 met eligibility criteria. Studies were categorized by technology, with actigraphy being the most studied (n = 21). Wrist actigraphy's performance is poorer in pruritic patients and inherently limited in finger-dominant scratch detection. It has moderate correlations with objective measures (Eczema and Area Severity Index/Investigator's Global Assessment: rs(ρ) = 0.70-0.76), but correlations with subjective measures are poor (r2 = 0.06, rs(ρ) = 0.18-0.40 for itch measured using a visual analog scale). This may be due to varied subjective perception of itch or actigraphy's underestimation of scratch. Conclusion: Actigraphy's large variability in performance and limited understanding of its specificity for scratch merits larger studies looking at validation of data analysis algorithms and device performance, particularly within target patient populations. |
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| Item Description: | 2666-3287 10.1016/j.jdin.2021.06.005 |