Abstract

Actigraphy has been used in clinical pediatric populations for many years, including attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and mood disorders to characterize circadian rhythms of motor activity, and as an alternative evaluation of sleep patterns. We present a case of an adolescent presenting with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and substance dependence for whom an investigation of sleep patterns using actigraphy and a sleep diary appeared to be useful in managing the case. Actigraphy contributed to the diagnostic clarification and disconfirmed the relevance of prescribing medication to this patient for sleep problems. Actigraphy is a cost-effective measure to evaluate sleep/wake patterns allowing for several-day-periods of observation. From the patient standpoint, actigraphy is less invasive than more in-depth investigation as polysomnography. Actigraphy might be a promising tool in those clinical occurrences when disentangling sleep disturbances from primary diagnosis or substance use is required.