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. 2025 Apr 12;317(1):708.
doi: 10.1007/s00403-025-04187-x.

Actigraphy, a valuable tool for objective sleep evaluation in psoriasis: a review

Katerina Vlami #  1 , Kleoniki Pantelidi #  2 , Maria Dalamaga #  3   4 , Evangelia Papadavid  3
Affiliations

Actigraphy, a valuable tool for objective sleep evaluation in psoriasis: a review

Katerina Vlami et al. Arch Dermatol Res. .

Abstract

Psoriasis, a form of chronic inflammatory skin disease, shows wide variations in severity and comorbidities. Considering the relatively clear scientific evidence concerning its great physical and psychological effects, researchers began to use actigraphy as a scientific monitoring tool for its bidirectional relationship with sleep. To evaluate the usefulness of actigraphy as a means to diagnose sleep disturbances in psoriatic patients. We performed a systematic review using PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar to look at the use of actigraphy in research into psoriasis and sleep disorders. This review covered publications through February 2024. Included records were primary and secondary research papers. Actigraphy consistently revealed strong links between pruritus nighttime arousal, and poorer subjective sleep, although next-day psoriasis symptoms did not always worsen. Systematic analyses emphasized actigraphy's role in measuring nocturnal scratching, supported by emerging smartwatch apps. Psoriatic arthritis studies likewise reported significant sleep disruptions, though evidence remains limited. From these studies, actigraphy presented as a useful tool in both clinical and research contexts, for diagnosing and monitoring sleep disorders among psoriatic patients. Actigraphy is an important test for psoriatic sleep disorders, providing useful objective data. This way the bridge between psoriasis and sleep be clearly understood, and treatment methods improved.

Keywords: Actigraphy; Dermatology; Patient management; Psoriasis; Sleep disorders.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Consent for participation: The authors obtained written consent from patients for their photographs and medical information to be published in print and online and with the understanding that this information may be publicly available. Patient consent forms were not provided to the journal but are retained by the authors. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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