{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,2]],"date-time":"2026-11-02T17:57:28Z","timestamp":1793642248368,"version":"4.5.1"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,4]],"date-time":"2023-04-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1680566400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Itch, and thereby the scratching behavior, is a common complaint in atopic dermatitis. Scratching damages the skin, which in turn worsens the itch. This itch-scratch cycle perpetuates the skin condition and has a major impact on the patient's quality of life. In addition to pharmacological treatment, psychological interventions show promising results in reducing scratching behavior.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title><jats:p>To investigate the effect of treatment according the EMDR treatment protocol for urge on scratching behavior of atopic dermatitis patients in a controlled study.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study applies a multiple baseline across subjects design. Six patients were randomly allocated to different baseline lengths and all of them started registration of scratching behavior at the same day, using a mobile phone application. Nocturnal scratching was registered by a smart watch application. The total study duration was 46 days and was equal for all patients. Treatment consisted of two sessions using the EMDR treatment protocol for urge. Furthermore, standardized measures were used to assess disease activity, quality of life, and self-control. The nonoverlap of all pairs effect size was calculated for the daily measure data.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>One patient dropped out. Visual inspection suggests that the scratching behavior decreased over time in all patients. Furthermore, a moderate effect size of the treatment is found. During the baseline phase, scratching behavior fluctuated considerably and showed a slight negative trend. Outcomes of disease activity decreased over time and patients' self-control and quality of life improved after treatment. Nocturnal scratching behavior did not change after the intervention.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>The results of the visual analysis of day time scratching behavior, disease activity, quality of life, and self-control seem promising. These findings pave the way for future research into the effect of the new intervention on other skin conditions suffering from scratching behavior, such as prurigo nodularis.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2023.1101935","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,4]],"date-time":"2023-04-04T05:05:21Z","timestamp":1680584721000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Reducing scratching behavior in atopic dermatitis patients using the EMDR treatment protocol for urge: A pilot study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Mathijs R.","family":"de Veer","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rick","family":"Waalboer-Spuij","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dirk Jan","family":"Hijnen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Do","family":"Doeksen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jan J.","family":"Busschbach","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Leonieke W.","family":"Kranenburg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"743","DOI":"10.1001\/jamadermatol.2014.5432","article-title":"Health care utilization, patient costs, and access to care in US adults with eczema: a population-based study","volume":"151","author":"Silverberg","year":"2015","journal-title":"JAMA Dermatol."},{"key":"B2","unstructured":"Eczeem: NHG-Richtlijnen\n            Dirven-MeijerP\n            De KockC\n            NonnemanM\n            Van SleeuwenD\n            De Witt-de JongA\n            BurgersJ\n          2014"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"713","DOI":"10.2340\/00015555-2940","article-title":"Patient burden is associated with alterations in quality of life in adult patients with atopic dermatitis: results from the ecla study","volume":"98","author":"Misery","year":"2018","journal-title":"Acta Derm Venereol."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"340","DOI":"10.1016\/j.anai.2018.07.006","article-title":"Patient burden and quality of life in atopic dermatitis in us adults: a population-based cross-sectional study","volume":"121","author":"Silverberg","year":"2018","journal-title":"Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"903","DOI":"10.1001\/jamadermatol.2018.1572","article-title":"Association of inadequately controlled disease and disease severity with patient-reported disease burden in adults with atopic dermatitis","volume":"154","author":"Simpson","year":"2018","journal-title":"JAMA Dermatol."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"38","DOI":"10.1111\/bjd.13084","article-title":"Psychodermatological aspects of atopic dermatitis","volume":"170","author":"Senra","year":"2014","journal-title":"Br J Dermatol."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1159\/000101940","article-title":"The effects of psychological intervention on atopic dermatitis","volume":"144","author":"Chida","year":"2007","journal-title":"Int Arch Allergy Immunol."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"970","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2133.2012.11183.x","article-title":"Meta-analysis of the effectiveness of psychological interventions for adults with skin conditions","volume":"167","author":"Lavda","year":"2012","journal-title":"Br J Dermatol."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"796","DOI":"10.1001\/jamadermatol.2021.1450","article-title":"Internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy for atopic dermatitis: a randomized clinical trial","volume":"157","author":"Hedman-Lagerl\u00f6f","year":"2021","journal-title":"JAMA Dermatol."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"300","DOI":"10.1080\/16506073.2018.1504320","article-title":"Exposure-based cognitive behavior therapy for atopic dermatitis: an open trial","volume":"48","author":"Hedman-Lagerl\u00f6f","year":"2019","journal-title":"Cogn Behav Ther."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamadermatol.2022.3434","article-title":"Optimized user experience, efficiency, and resource use in online self-management of atopic dermatitis","author":"Kern","year":"2022","journal-title":"JAMA Dermatol."},{"key":"B12","first-page":"5","article-title":"Te mooi om waar te zijn? 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