Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Effects of Exposure of Formaldehyde to a Rat Model of Atopic Dermatitis Induced by Neonatal Capsaicin Treatment
Published on: September 27, 2017
Influence of Itch and Pain on Sleep Quality in Atopic Dermatitis and Psoriasis
Karolina Kaaz1, Jacek C Szepietowski, Łukasz Matusiak
1Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Wroclaw Medical University, Chałubińskiego 1, 50-368 Wrocław, Poland.
Abstract:
Subjective symptoms accompanying atopic dermatitis and psoriasis can negatively influence patients' well-being. This study assessed the impact of itch and pain on sleep quality among 100 patients with atopic dermatitis and 100 patients with psoriasis, compared with 50 controls. The Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to evaluate a spectrum of sleep disturbances. Co-existence of insomnia was indicated in the majority of patients; atopic dermatitis; 82%, psoriasis; 62%. PSQI total scores for patients with atopic dermatitis (8.3 ± 4.2 points) and those with psoriasis (8.1 ± 4.8 points) qualified them, in 80% of cases, as poor sleepers and were significantly higher compared with controls (3.1 ± 1.9 points). However, subjects with atopic dermatitis experienced more problems with insomnia and sleep quality than did those with psoriasis. Atopic dermatitis and psoriasis-related itch, but not pain, has a substantial association with insomnia and sleep quality in these patients, and is a crucial subjective symptom in these chronic, inflammatory skin diseases.
Related Concept Videos
Primary Motives: Sleep, Sex, and Pain Avoidance
Sleep is a fundamental physiological drive that fosters a state of restfulness crucial for several bodily functions. It facilitates body restoration, the process by which the body repairs, rejuvenates, and maintains itself during sleep, including memory...
Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
Stages of Sleep
Before sleep begins, in wakefulness, the brain exhibits primarily beta waves, which are high in frequency and low in amplitude, indicating alertness...
Understanding Sleep
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
Sleep Apnea
The condition is more prevalent among...
Pain

