The use of actigraphy to study sleep disorders in preschoolers: some concerns about detection of nighttime awakenings.
OBJECTIVE
This study compared actigraphy with videosomnography in preschool-aged children, with special emphasis on the accuracy of detection of nighttime awakenings.


METHODS
Fifty-eight participants wore an actigraph for 1 week and were videotaped for 2 nights while wearing the actigraph.


METHODS
Participants were solitary sleepers, studied in their homes.


METHODS
One group (n = 22) was diagnosed with autism, another group (n = 11) had developmental delays without autism, and a third group (n = 25) were typically developing children; age ranged from 28 to 73 months (mean age 47 months); 29 boys and 29 girls.


METHODS
N/A.


RESULTS
Nocturnal sleep and wakefulness were scored from simultaneously recorded videosomnography and actigraphy. The accuracy of actigraphy was examined in an epoch-by-epoch comparison with videosomnography. Findings were 94% overall agreement, 97% sensitivity, and 24% specificity. Statistical corrections for overall agreement and specificity resulted in an 89% weighted-agreement and 27% adjusted specificity.


CONCLUSIONS
Actigraphy has poor agreement for detecting nocturnal awakenings, compared with video observations, in preschool-aged children.
Sitnick
Stephanie L
SL
Department of Human and Community Development, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, USA.
Goodlin-Jones
Beth L
BL
Anders
Thomas F
TF
D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009043:Motor Activity; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014741:Video Recording / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014851:Wakefulness