Scratch Scoring by a Sheet-shaped Body Vibrometer in Nocturnal Sleep: A Pilot Study Compared with Infrared Video Recording.

Itching tends to worsen at night in patients with itchy skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis. Unconscious scratching during sleep can exacerbate symptoms, cause sleep disturbances, or reduce quality of life. Therefore, evaluating nocturnal scratching behaviour is important for better patient care.

Region-specific activation in the accumbens nucleus by itch with modified scratch efficacy in mice - a model-free multivariate analysis.

Itch is a protective/defensive function with divalent motivational drives. Itch itself elicits an unpleasant experience, which triggers the urge to scratch, relieving the itchiness. Still, it can also result in dissatisfaction when the scratch is too intense and painful or unsatisfactory due to insufficient scratch effect.

[RECOMMENDATION FOR ITCH ASSESSMENT FROM THE ATOPIC ITCH CONSENSUS MEETING (AICOM)].

Background: Itch is the most troublesome symptom of atopic dermatitis, and it is important to assess it appropriately for optimal treatment. We discussed issues regarding itch and the most appropriate methods of assessment at the Atopic Itch Consensus Meeting (AICOM), attended by physicians and researchers with expertise in itch treatment and research.

Methods: The AICOM participants prepared a draft consensus statement that addressed the most appropriate itch assessment methods for age groups <2 years, 2-6 years, 7-14 years, and ≥15 years.

[JAPANESE TRANSLATION AND LINGUISTIC VALIDATION OF THE RECAP OF ATOPIC ECZEMA (RECAP)].

Background: The Recap of atopic eczema (RECAP), a new core outcome of the atopic dermatitis trial, was translated into Japanese and linguistically validated.

Methods: Translation into Japanese was accomplished according to the ISPOR (International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcome Research) guidelines and the basic guidelines for scale translation. The translation process included two forward translations, reconciliation with native English speakers, third-party back translation, cognitive debriefing, review and harmonization by the original authors.

Monitoring Sleep and Scratch Improves Quality of Life in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis itch may cause sleep disturbance and impair quality of life. For patients finding topical therapy difficult to continue, it is important to control itch and reduce scratching. This study developed algorithms to measure nocturnal sleep and scratch, using an actigraph device worn on the back of the hand, and assessed smartphone application feedback to improve adherence with therapy.

Role of Eosinophil Relative Count and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in the Assessment of Severity of Atopic Dermatitis.

The aim of this study is to elucidate the relationship between 2 different types of severity-indicating parameters (i.e. between subjective and objective severity-indicating parametersin patients with atopic dermatitis.

The first Japanese family of CDH3-related hypotrichosis with juvenile macular dystrophy.

Background: Hypotrichosis with juvenile macular dystrophy (HJMD) is a rare autosomal recessive inherited disorder caused by biallelic variants in the CDH3 gene encoding P-cadherin. Here, we report two Japanese sibling patients with HJMD.

Methods: Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed to identify disease-causing variants.

Direct evidence that the brain reward system is involved in the control of scratching behaviors induced by acute and chronic itch.

In the present study, we demonstrated that there is a direct relationship between scratching behaviors induced by itch and functional changes in the brain reward system. Using a conditional place preference test, the rewarding effect was clearly evoked by scratching under both acute and chronic itch stimuli. The induction of ΔFosB, a member of the Fos family of transcription factors, was observed in dopamine transporter (DAT)-positive dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of mice suffering from a chronic itch sensation.

Cyclosporine Improves Sleep Quality in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis.

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, relapsing, inflammatory skin disease characterized by eczema and pruritus, and frequently impairs sleep quality. Although cyclosporine improves symptoms of AD, objective evaluation of sleep in patients with AD treated with cyclosporine has not been reported. This study was conducted to elucidate the effects of cyclosporine on sleep quality for patients with AD.

Addiction and the itch-scratch cycle. What do they have in common?

Itch is a multidimensional experience involving various brain regions associated with sensory perception and emotion, as well as an urge to scratch employing the motor system. Scratch temporarily relieves itch sensation in healthy subjects. However, in patients with chronic itch, rather than inhibit, scratch may aggravate itch.

Relationship between the Degrees of Itch and Serum Lipocalin-2 Levels in Patients with Psoriasis.

Background: Lipocalin-2 (LCN2), a protein secreted mainly by activated neutrophils, has been associated with neurodegeneration, obesity, and inflammatory responses. Serum LCN2 concentration has been reported elevated in patients with psoriasis, but lower in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Spinal astrocyte-derived LCN2 was found to be involved in enhancement of itch in a mouse model of AD.

Expression of T-cell immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif domain on CD4 T cells in patients with atopic dermatitis.

The T-cell immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif domain (TIGIT) is a co-inhibitory receptor mainly expressed on T cells. Although TIGIT plays an important role in various autoimmune diseases, its role in atopic dermatitis (AD) remains unclear. In this study, we examined the expression levels of TIGIT and their association with clinical features in patients with AD.