The positive effects of habit reversal treatment of scratching in children with atopic dermatitis: a randomized controlled study

摘要

Summary Background Scratching and itch are common clinical signs of atopic dermatitis (AD ). Studies of adult patients have shown that a decrease in scratching behaviour results in regression of inflammation and improved healing of the skin.Objectives To investigate whether a modified habit reversal (HR ) treatment protocol could be used for the treatment of scratching in children to improve skin status.Methods The study is a singleblind, randomized controlled trial of 39 patients who started with registration a week before randomization into one of two groups (intervention or control). The participants in the intervention group received a habitbreaking therapy of their scratching behaviour (i.e.HR ) in addition to a potent steroid (mometasone furoate), whereas the patients in the control group received the steroid alone. The patients were assessed by an independent dermatologist after the first week of registration (baseline assessment) and then after 3 and 8爓eeks of treatment. The primary efficacy variable was a change in objective Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD ).Results At the end of the 3week treatment period, the change in mean objectiveSCORAD was significantly (P?=?0?27) higher in the intervention group (31?牨??) than in the control group (23?牨?0?). After the 8week followup, the change in mean objectiveSCORAD was significantly (P?=?0?038) higher in the intervention group (31?牨?0?) than in the control group (19?牨??).Conclusions The treatment of scratching with theHR method in combination with a potent steroid was found to improve skin status significantly after 3 and 11爓eeks.