THE ACTIGRAPH DATA-ANALYSIS SOFTWARE .1. A NOVEL-APPROACH TO SCORING AND INTERPRETING SLEEP-WAKE ACTIVITY

Decades of empirical observations have established the validity of act igraphy primarily in individuals without sleep disorders. Methodologic al problems encountered thus far coupled with the widespread use of ac tigraphy signal the need for concentrated efforts to establish a conse nsus regarding scoring procedures. Currently available scoring methods show less reliability in clinical populations. To address these issue s two validation studies were conducted: one for individuals without s leep disorders and the other for patients diagnosed with insomnia. The results of these two studies using the Actigraph Data analysis Softwa re as the scoring method have shown that the described system is fairl y precise. It can be used for actigraphs with different features and m ode of operation and is applicable to individuals with insomnia. These findings corroborate previous research showing that actigraphy is a v alid instrument for assessment of sleep and wakefulness.