A wearable sensor utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) with haptic feedback significantly reduced nocturnal scratching in adults with mild atopic dermatitis, a new study reports.
Researchers for the single-arm, two-stage cohort study recruited 10 adults (60% female; mean age, 36) with atopic dermatitis self-reporting moderate to severe scratching behaviors. Participants wore AI-enabled sensors on the hands for two weeks at home. During the first week, the sensor recorded baseline scratching behavior without intervention. During the second week, the device delivered haptic feedback whenever scratching was detected. Participants in the study contributed a total of 104 sleep nights and 831 hours of monitoring.
The analysis showed a reduction in scratching during the week of intervention. The mean number of nightly scratch events decreased from 45.6 to 32.8, (a 28% reduction [P = 0.03]). Mean scratch duration per hour of sleep was reduced by 50%, (15.8 seconds to 7.9 seconds [P = 0.01]). There were no changes in total sleep opportunity, signaling the intervention did not disrupt sleep quality. No adverse events were reported.
The small sample size was cited as a study limitation, as were some considerations about the position of the device on the hand (being worn only on the dominant hand, for example).
"This study describes the application of a wearable sensor with the ability to notify users of scratching behavior via biofeedback," the authors concluded. "This technology may serve as a standalone or, more likely, a supportive therapeutic device for decreasing scratching behavior in patients with mild AD who may not meet the criteria for systemic therapy or prefer to not use topical corticosteroids yet still report a high degree of scratching."
Source: Yang A, et al. JAMA Dermatology. 2025. Doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2024.5697