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Pfeiffer E, Allroggen M, Sachser C. The prevalence of misophonia in a representative population-based survey in Germany. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2024:10.1007/s00127-024-02707-0. [PMID: 38963546 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-024-02707-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Misophonia is a new disorder, currently defined as significant emotional and physiological distress when exposed to certain sounds. Although there is a growing body of literature on the characteristics of the disorder, the prevalence in the general population is still relatively unknown. This study therefore aims at determining the prevalence and symptom severity of misophonia in a large and representative general population sample in Germany. METHODS To examine the prevalence of misophonic sounds, misophonic reactions and misophonia severity, a cross-sectional population representative survey in Germany has been conducted. Participants (N = 2.522) were questioned retrospectively about misophonic symptoms using the Amsterdam Misophonie Scale - Revised (AMISOS-R). RESULTS Overall 33.3% reported to be sensitive to at least one specific misophonic sound. Within the total sample, subthreshold symptoms were reported by 21.3%, mild symptoms were reported by 9.9%, moderate to severe symptoms were reported by 2.1%, and severe to extreme symptoms were reported in 0.1% of participants. CONCLUSION Based on the diverging presentations and prevalence rates of misophonic sounds, reactions and symptoms according to the severity, it seems worthwhile to conceptualize misophonia as a rather continuous spectrum disorder (subthreshold, mild, moderate to severe), still taking into account that an additional categorical diagnostic approach might be necessary to derive a diagnosis in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Pfeiffer
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, Ulm University, Steinhoevelstr. 5, 89075, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Marc Allroggen
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, Ulm University, Steinhoevelstr. 5, 89075, Ulm, Germany
| | - Cedric Sachser
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, Ulm University, Steinhoevelstr. 5, 89075, Ulm, Germany
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Uglik-Marucha N, Siepsiak M, Zielińska J, Dragan WŁ, Gregory J, Vitoratou S. Beyond sound irritation: cross-cultural evidence on the robustness of the five aspects of misophonic experience measured by the S-Five in a Polish sample. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1372870. [PMID: 38962216 PMCID: PMC11221307 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1372870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Misophonia is commonly associated with negative emotional or physiological responses to specific sounds. However, the consensus definition emphasizes that misophonia entails much more than that. Even in cases of subclinical misophonia, where individuals do not meet the disorder criteria, the experience can still be burdensome, despite not currently causing significant distress or impairment. The S-Five is a psychometric tool for comprehensive assessment of five aspects of misophonic experience: internalizing, externalizing, impact, threat, and outburst, and includes S-Five-T section to evaluate feelings evoked by triggering sounds and their intensity. We examined whether the five-factor structure developed in the UK could be replicated in a Polish sample, including individuals with and without self-identified misophonia. The Polish version of the S-Five was translated and tested on 288 Polish-speaking individuals. Comprehensive psychometric evaluation, including factor structure, measurement invariance, test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and concurrent validity evaluations, was conducted on the translated scale. Exploratory factor analysis suggested similar structure to the original English study, while bootstrap exploratory graph analysis showed the factor structure to be reproducible in other samples. The scale was found to be bias free with respect to gender, internally consistent and stable in time, and evidence of validity was provided using MisoQuest and Misophonia Questionnaire. These results offer support for the cross-cultural stability of the five factors and provide preliminary evidence for the suitability of the Polish version for clinical and research purposes. The study also investigated five facets of misophonia, triggering sounds, emotional responses, and their associations with symptoms of psychopathology across various cultures. It underscores the central role of anger, distress, and panic, while also highlighting the mixed role of irritation and disgust in misophonia across different cultural contexts. Mouth sounds evoked the most pronounced reactions compared to other repetitive sounds, although there were discernible cultural differences in the nature and intensity of reactions to various trigger sounds. These findings hold significant implications for future research and underscore the importance of considering cultural nuances in both research and the clinical management of misophonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Uglik-Marucha
- Psychometrics and Measurement Lab, Biostatistics and Health Informatics Department, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marta Siepsiak
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Julia Zielińska
- Psychometrics and Measurement Lab, Biostatistics and Health Informatics Department, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jane Gregory
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Silia Vitoratou
- Psychometrics and Measurement Lab, Biostatistics and Health Informatics Department, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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Aazh H, Najjari A, Moore BCJ. A Preliminary Analysis of the Clinical Effectiveness of Audiologist-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Delivered via Video Calls for Rehabilitation of Misophonia, Hyperacusis, and Tinnitus. Am J Audiol 2024; 33:559-574. [PMID: 38651993 DOI: 10.1044/2024_aja-23-00254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a key intervention for management of misophonia, hyperacusis, and tinnitus. The aim of this study was to perform a preliminary analysis comparing the scores for self-report questionnaires before and after audiologist-delivered CBT via video calls for adults with misophonia, hyperacusis, or tinnitus or a combination of these. METHOD This was a retrospective cross-sectional study. The data for 37 consecutive patients who received CBT for misophonia, hyperacusis, or tinnitus from a private institute in the United Kingdom were analyzed. Self-report questionnaires taken as part of routine care were as follows: 4C Questionnaires for tinnitus, hyperacusis, and misophonia (4C-T, 4C-H, and 4C-M, respectively), Tinnitus Impact Questionnaire (TIQ), Hyperacusis Impact Questionnaire (HIQ), Misophonia Impact Questionnaire (MIQ), Sound Sensitivity Symptoms Questionnaire (SSSQ), and Screening for Anxiety and Depression in Tinnitus (SAD-T). Responses were also obtained to other questionnaires related to tinnitus, hyperacusis, insomnia, and anxiety and mood disorders. A linear mixed-model method was used to assess the changes in response to the questionnaires pretreatment and posttreatment. RESULTS Pretreatment-posttreatment comparisons showed that scores for the 4C-T, 4C-H, 4C-M, TIQ, HIQ, MIQ, SSSQ, and SAD-T improved, with effect sizes of 1.4, 1.2, 1.3, 2.6, 0.9, 0.7, 0.9, and 1.4, respectively (all p < .05). CONCLUSIONS This preliminary analysis suggests that CBT via video calls may be effective in reducing the impact of misophonia, hyperacusis, and tinnitus. However, this study did not have a control group, so its results need to be interpreted with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hashir Aazh
- Hashir International Specialist Clinics & Research Institute for Misophonia, Tinnitus and Hyperacusis, London, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Anahita Najjari
- Hashir International Specialist Clinics & Research Institute for Misophonia, Tinnitus and Hyperacusis, London, United Kingdom
| | - Brian C J Moore
- Hashir International Specialist Clinics & Research Institute for Misophonia, Tinnitus and Hyperacusis, London, United Kingdom
- Cambridge Hearing Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Storch EA, Guzick AG, D'Souza J, Clinger J, Ayton D, Kook M, Rork C, Smith EE, Draper IA, Khalfe N, Rast CE, Murphy N, Lijfijjt M, Goodman WK, Cervin M. Family Accommodation in Children and Adolescents With Misophonia. Behav Ther 2024; 55:595-604. [PMID: 38670671 PMCID: PMC11055978 DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2023.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Family accommodation (e.g., reassurance, modifying routines, assisting avoidance) has not been explored among youth with misophonia but may have important clinical and intervention implications. We examined family accommodation in 102 children and adolescents with interview-confirmed misophonia and compared its frequency and content to family accommodation in 95 children and adolescents with anxiety disorders. Findings showed that family accommodation was ubiquitous in pediatric misophonia and may be even more frequent than in youth with anxiety disorders. Assisting the child, participating in misophonia-related behaviors, and modifying family routines were endorsed by more than 70% of parents of children with misophonia. Further, compared to parents of children with anxiety disorders, parents of children with misophonia more frequently reported child distress and anger when they did not accommodate. Family accommodation was moderately to strongly associated with misophonia severity even when accounting for co-occurring internalizing and externalizing symptoms and sociodemographic factors. This first study of family accommodation in pediatric misophonia suggests accommodation may be an important clinical feature. A notable study limitation is that the measure of misophonia did not delineate between adaptive versus maladaptive accommodations. Excessive and maladaptive accommodation may be one potential candidate to target in interventions when considered within a broader treatment plan. Importantly, adaptive accommodations should also be considered in day-to-day management if they improve functioning and quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew G Guzick
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Baylor College of Medicine
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Neacsiu AD, Beynel L, Gerlus N, LaBar KS, Bukhari-Parlakturk N, Rosenthal MZ. An experimental examination of neurostimulation and cognitive restructuring as potential components for Misophonia interventions. J Affect Disord 2024; 350:274-285. [PMID: 38228276 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Misophonia is a disorder of decreased tolerance to certain aversive, repetitive common sounds, or to stimuli associated with these sounds. Two matched groups of adults (29 participants with misophonia and 30 clinical controls with high emotion dysregulation) received inhibitory neurostimulation (1 Hz) over a personalized medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) target functionally connected to the left insula; excitatory neurostimulation (10 Hz) over a personalized dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) target; and sham stimulation over either target. Stimulations were applied while participants were either listening or cognitively downregulating emotions associated with personalized aversive, misophonic, or neutral sounds. Subjective units of distress (SUDS) and psychophysiological measurements (e.g., skin conductance response [SCR] and level [SCL]) were collected. Compared to controls, participants with misophonia reported higher distress (∆SUDS = 1.91-1.93, ps < 0.001) when listening to and when downregulating misophonic distress. Both types of neurostimulation reduced distress significantly more than sham, with excitatory rTMS providing the most benefit (Cohen's dSUDS = 0.53; dSCL = 0.14). Excitatory rTMS also enhanced the regulation of emotions associated with misophonic sounds in both groups when measured by SUDS (dcontrol = 1.28; dMisophonia = 0.94), and in the misophonia group alone when measured with SCL (d = 0.20). Both types of neurostimulation were well tolerated. Engaging in cognitive restructuring enhanced with high-frequency neurostimulation led to the lowest misophonic distress, highlighting the best path forward for misophonia interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrada D Neacsiu
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Center for Misophonia and Emotional Dysregulation, Durham, NC, USA; Brain Stimulation Research Center, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Lysianne Beynel
- National Institute for Mental Health, Bethesta, DC, USA; Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
| | | | - Kevin S LaBar
- Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Noreen Bukhari-Parlakturk
- Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - M Zachary Rosenthal
- Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Center for Misophonia and Emotional Dysregulation, Durham, NC, USA.
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Brennan CR, Lindberg RR, Kim G, Castro AA, Khan RA, Berenbaum H, Husain FT. Misophonia and Hearing Comorbidities in a Collegiate Population. Ear Hear 2024; 45:390-399. [PMID: 37789522 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Misophonia is a little-understood disorder in which certain sounds cause a strong emotional response in those who experience it. People who are affected by misophonia may find that noises like loud chewing, pen clicking, and/or sniffing trigger intense frustration, anger, or discomfort. The relationship of misophonia with other auditory disorders including loudness hyperacusis, tinnitus, and hearing loss is largely underexplored. This project aimed to investigate the prevalence and hearing-health comorbidities of misophonia in a college-aged population by using an online survey. DESIGN A total of 12,131 undergraduate and graduate students between the ages of 18 and 25 were given the opportunity to answer an in-depth online survey. These students were sampled in a roughly 50 of 50 sex distribution. The survey was created using Qualtrics and included the following components: electronic consent, demographics questionnaire, Misophonia Questionnaire (MQ), Khalfa's Hyperacusis Questionnaire (HQ), Tinnitus and Hearing Survey, and Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI). To be eligible for compensation, answers for each of the above components were required, with the exception of the TFI, which was only presented to students who indicated that they experienced tinnitus. Respondents were determined to have high or possible likelihood of having misophonia if they gave specific answers to the MQ's Emotion and Behavior Scale or the MQ Severity Scale. RESULTS After excluding duplicate responses and age-related outliers, 1,084 responses were included in the analysis. Just over 20% (n = 217) of the sample was determined to have a high or probable likelihood of having misophonia. The sample was primarily White, female, and of mid-to-high socioeconomic status. There was a strong positive correlation between MQ total scores and HQ total scores. High likelihood misophonia status showed a significant relationship with self-reported hearing loss and tinnitus. No statistically significant relationship was found between misophonia and age, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. MQ total scores differed significantly when separating respondents by sex, self-reported tinnitus, and loudness hyperacusis. White respondents had significantly higher MQ total scores than Asian/Asian American respondents. CONCLUSIONS The estimated prevalence of misophonia was about 8% to 20% of the sample, which agrees with most of the currently published research examining misophonia symptoms in collegiate populations. Results of data analysis suggest that misophonia severity may be related to loudness hyperacusis, sex, and possibly tinnitus. Future studies are needed to further examine the characteristics of these relationships, possibly in populations more optimized to reflect the general population or those with hearing-health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline R Brennan
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
- The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Ragnar R Lindberg
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
- The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Gibbeum Kim
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
- The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Ariana A Castro
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Rafay A Khan
- The Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
- The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Howard Berenbaum
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Fatima T Husain
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
- The Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
- The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
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Guetta RE, Siepsiak M, Shan Y, Frazer-Abel E, Rosenthal MZ. Misophonia is related to stress but not directly with traumatic stress. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296218. [PMID: 38386641 PMCID: PMC10883556 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The relationship between misophonia, stress, and traumatic stress has not been well characterized scientifically. This study aimed to explore the relationships among misophonia, stress, lifetime traumatic events, and traumatic stress. A community sample of adults with self-reported misophonia (N = 143) completed structured diagnostic interviews and psychometrically validated self-report measures. Significant positive correlations were observed among perceived stress, traumatic stress, and misophonia severity. However, multivariate analyses revealed that perceived stress significantly predicted misophonia severity, over and above traumatic stress symptoms. The number of adverse life events was not associated with misophonia severity. Among symptom clusters of post-traumatic stress disorder, only hyperarousal was associated with misophonia severity. These findings suggest that transdiagnostic processes related to stress, such as perceived stress and hyperarousal, may be important phenotypic features and possible treatment targets for adults with misophonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E. Guetta
- Center for Misophonia and Emotion Regulation, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Marta Siepsiak
- Center for Misophonia and Emotion Regulation, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Yanyan Shan
- Center for Misophonia and Emotion Regulation, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Emily Frazer-Abel
- Center for Misophonia and Emotion Regulation, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - M. Zachary Rosenthal
- Center for Misophonia and Emotion Regulation, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
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Murphy N, Lijffijt M, Guzick AG, Cervin M, Clinger J, Smith EEA, Draper I, Rast CE, Goodman WK, Schneider S, Storch EA. Alterations in attentional processing in youth with misophonia: A phenotypical cross-comparison with anxiety patients. J Affect Disord 2024; 347:429-436. [PMID: 38042307 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.11.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Misophonia is a complex condition characterized by extreme emotional distress in response to specific sounds or specific visual stimuli. Despite a growing body of clinical and neuroscientific literature, the etiology of this condition remains unclear. Hyperarousal, that is, a state of heightened alertness and disinhibition, as a core feature of misophonia is supported by behavioral and neuroimaging literature and might represent a viable clinical target for the development of both behavioral and pharmacological interventions. The aim of this study was to investigate how hyperarousal might be linked to neurocognitive processes associated with vigilance and stimulus discrimination in youth with misophonia. METHODS We compared 72 children and adolescents with misophonia (13.74 ± 2.44 years) (64 % female) and 89 children and adolescents with anxiety (12.35 ± 2.57 years) (58.4 % female) on behavioral and signal detection performance of the immediate memory task (IMT). Anxiety patients were used as a clinical control group to distinguish attentional processes specific for misophonia. RESULTS Both groups demonstrated similar behavioral performance, including response rate and reaction time. However, misophonia was associated with elevated stimulus discrimination (d prime), which in turn was positively correlated with the severity of misophonia trigger reports. CONCLUSIONS Our findings are in line with previous cognitive and neuroimaging studies, and support an arousal-based model of misophonia, where individuals with misophonia experience a state of heightened vigilance, being more aware of stimuli in the environment. Our findings provide a neurocognitive basis for future study of neurochemical imaging that might further progress towards clinical targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Murphy
- Baylor College of Medicine, Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Marijn Lijffijt
- Baylor College of Medicine, Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Houston, TX, USA; Sage Therapeutics, USA
| | - Andrew G Guzick
- Baylor College of Medicine, Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Houston, TX, USA; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Matti Cervin
- Baylor College of Medicine, Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Sweden
| | - Jane Clinger
- Baylor College of Medicine, Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Eleanor E A Smith
- Baylor College of Medicine, Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Catherine E Rast
- Baylor College of Medicine, Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wayne K Goodman
- Baylor College of Medicine, Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sophie Schneider
- Baylor College of Medicine, Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Eric A Storch
- Baylor College of Medicine, Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
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McMahon K, Cassiello-Robbins C, Greenleaf A, Guetta R, Frazer-Abel E, Kelley L, Rosenthal MZ. The unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders for misophonia: a pilot trial exploring acceptability and efficacy. Front Psychol 2024; 14:1294571. [PMID: 38406262 PMCID: PMC10885161 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1294571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Misophonia is a recently defined disorder characterized by distressing responses to everyday sounds, such as chewing or sniffling. Individuals with misophonia experience significant functional impairment but have limited options for evidenced-based behavioral treatment. To address this gap in the literature, the current pilot trial explored the acceptability and efficacy of a transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral approach to treating symptoms of misophonia. Methods This trial was conducted in two studies: In Study 1, the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP) was delivered to eight patients in order to receive feedback to guide revisions to the treatment to suit this population. In Study 2, ten patients received the revised UP treatment to explore its acceptability and preliminary efficacy. This study used a single-case experimental design with multiple baselines, randomizing patients to either a 2-week baseline or 4-week baseline prior to the 16 weeks of treatment, followed by four weeks of follow-up. Results The findings from these studies suggested that patients found both the original and adapted versions of the UP to be acceptable and taught them skills for how to manage their misophonia symptoms. Importantly, the findings also suggested that the UP can help remediate symptoms of misophonia, particularly the emotional and behavioral responses. Discussion These findings provide preliminary evidence that this transdiagnostic treatment for emotional disorders can improve symptoms of misophonia in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kibby McMahon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | | | - Anna Greenleaf
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Rachel Guetta
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Emily Frazer-Abel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Lisalynn Kelley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - M. Zachary Rosenthal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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Ash PA, Benzaquén E, Gander PE, Berger JI, Kumar S. Mimicry in misophonia: A large-scale survey of prevalence and relationship with trigger sounds. J Clin Psychol 2024; 80:186-197. [PMID: 37850971 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Misophonia is often referred to as a disorder that is characterized by excessive negative emotional responses, including anger and anxiety, to "trigger sounds" which are typically day-to-day sounds, such as those generated from people eating, chewing, and breathing. Misophonia (literally "hatred of sounds") has commonly been understood within an auditory processing framework where sounds cause distress due to aberrant processing in the auditory and emotional systems of the brain. However, a recent proposal suggests that it is the perceived action (e.g., mouth movement in eating/chewing sounds as triggers) of the trigger person, and not the sounds per se, that drives the distress in misophonia. Since observation or listening to sounds of actions of others are known to prompt mimicry in perceivers, we hypothesized that mimicking the action of the trigger person may be prevalent in misophonia. Apart from a few case studies and anecdotal information, a relation between mimicking and misophonia has not been systematically evaluated. METHOD In this work, we addressed this limitation by collecting data on misophonia symptoms and mimicry behavior using online questionnaires from 676 participants. RESULTS Analysis of these data shows that (i) more than 45% of individuals with misophonia reported mimicry, indicating its wide prevalence, (ii) the tendency to mimic varies in direct proportion to misophonia severity, (iii) compared to other human and environmental sounds, trigger sounds of eating and chewing are more likely to trigger mimicking, and (iv) the act of mimicking provides some degree of relief from distress to people with misophonia. CONCLUSION This study shows prevalence of mimicry and its relation to misophonia severity and trigger types. The theoretical framework of misophonia needs to incorporate the phenomenon of mimicry and its effect on management of misophonia distress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paris A Ash
- School of Psychology, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, UK
| | - Ester Benzaquén
- Newcastle University Medical School, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK
| | - Phillip E Gander
- Department of Radiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Joel I Berger
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Sukhbinder Kumar
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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Simner J, Rinaldi LJ. Misophonia, self-harm and suicidal ideation. PCN REPORTS : PSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES 2023; 2:e142. [PMID: 38868724 PMCID: PMC11114359 DOI: 10.1002/pcn5.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Aim Misophonia is a sound sensitivity disorder characterized by an unusually strong aversion to a specific class of sounds-often human bodily sounds (e.g., chewing). These sounds can cause intense negative emotions which can cause profound difficulties in everyday life. The condition is linked with higher rates of anxiety and depression, and here we ask whether it co-occurs with elevated self-harm and suicidal thinking. Methods We measured self-harm and misophonia in the general population by examining a birth cohort sample from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). We screened them for misophonia as adults, then analyzed their earlier data on well-being, self-harm, and suicidal thinking. Results Adults with misophonia had significantly higher rates of self-harm and suicidal ideation, as well as poorer well-being in a number of different measures at ages 16-17 and 23-24 years. Female misophonics were particularly at risk, from as early as their teenage years, though males, too, show elevated self-harm at 24 years compared to nonmisophonic peers. Conclusion Our data provide evidence of elevated risks of self-harm associated with misophonia and suggest the need for greater recognition and treatment pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Simner
- School of PsychologyUniversity of SussexBrightonUK
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12
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Armstrong GM, Greenberg RL, Smárason O, Frederick RM, Guzick AG, Schneider SC, Spencer SD, Cervin M, Storch EA. Factors associated with internalizing and externalizing symptoms in a clinical sample of youth with misophonia. J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord 2023; 39:100831. [PMID: 37692107 PMCID: PMC10485913 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocrd.2023.100831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Misophonia is an often chronic condition characterized by strong, unpleasant emotional reactions when exposed to specific auditory or visual triggers. While not currently defined within existing classification systems, and not clearly fitting within the framework of extant psychiatric conditions, misophonia has historically been studied most frequently within the context of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Internalizing and externalizing psychiatric symptoms are common in misophonia, but specific factors that confer risk for these symptoms remain unknown. The present cross-sectional study examined whether sensory sensitivity and cognitive emotion regulation facets are associated with co-occurring internalizing and externalizing symptoms in 102 youth with misophonia aged 8-17 years (Nfemales = 69). Participants completed self-report assessments of misophonia severity, sensory sensitivity, cognitive emotion regulation, and emotional-behavioral functioning. In the final model, controlling for all variables, multiple linear regression analyses revealed that sensory sensitivity and age were significant predictors of internalizing symptoms, while sensory sensitivity and the other-blame cognitive emotion regulation facet were significant predictors of externalizing symptoms. Further, findings demonstrated that the positive reappraisal cognitive emotion regulation facet moderated the effect of misophonia severity on internalizing symptoms. Results highlight a strong, consistent relation between sensory sensitivities (beyond sound sensitivity) and psychiatric symptoms in misophonic youth. Further research is necessary to determine mechanisms and clinical variables impacting internalizing and externalizing symptoms within youth with misophonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle M Armstrong
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine
| | - Rebecca L Greenberg
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine
| | - Orri Smárason
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Iceland
| | - Renee M Frederick
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine
| | - Andrew G Guzick
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pennsylvania
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine
| | - Sophie C Schneider
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine
| | - Samuel D Spencer
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine
| | - Matti Cervin
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University
| | - Eric A Storch
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine
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Siepsiak M, Turek A, Michałowska M, Gambin M, Dragan WŁ. Misophonia in Children and Adolescents: Age Differences, Risk Factors, Psychiatric and Psychological Correlates. A Pilot Study with Mothers' Involvement. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2023:10.1007/s10578-023-01593-y. [PMID: 37684420 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-023-01593-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Misophonia is a type of disorder characterized by decreased sound tolerance. While it typically begins in childhood, research on its characteristics in this population is limited. We assessed 90 children aged 7-18 with and without misophonia, along with their mothers, using interviews, questionnaires, and performance-based tests. Younger children with misophonia were more likely to use aggression in response to triggers than older, while adolescents largely reported self-harm during triggers. Children with misophonia did not differ from their peers in terms of ADHD, ODD, ASD, dyslexia, social and emotional competencies, head injuries, epilepsy, tinnitus, being prematurely born, or delivered via cesarean sections. However, they had significantly higher symptoms of anxiety and depression, more frequent occurrences of OCD, migraines, and psychosomatic complaints. Their mothers self-reported postpartum depression significantly more frequently than mothers in the control group. There is a need for further research on pediatric misophonia, with the involvement and assessment of parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Siepsiak
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Anna Turek
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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14
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Rinaldi LJ, Simner J. Mental Health Difficulties in Children who Develop Misophonia: An Examination of ADHD, Depression & Anxiety. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2023:10.1007/s10578-023-01569-y. [PMID: 37501042 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-023-01569-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Misophonia is a sound sensitivity disorder characterized by unusually strong aversions to a specific class of sounds (e.g., eating sounds). Here we demonstrate the mental health profile in children who develop misophonia, examining depression, anxiety and ADHD. Our participants were members of the birth cohort ALSPAC (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children). We screened them for misophonia as adults, then analysed their retrospective mental health data from ages 7 to 16 years inclusive, reported from both children and parents. Data from their Development and Wellbeing Assessments (7-15 years) and their Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaires (9-16 years) show that our misophonia group had a greater likelihood of childhood anxiety disorder and depression in childhood (but not ADHD). Our data provide the first evidence from a large general population sample of the types of mental health co-morbidities found in children who develop misophonia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia Simner
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
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15
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Mattson SA, D’Souza J, Wojcik KD, Guzick AG, Goodman WK, Storch EA. A systematic review of treatments for misophonia. PERSONALIZED MEDICINE IN PSYCHIATRY 2023; 39-40:100104. [PMID: 37333720 PMCID: PMC10276561 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmip.2023.100104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Research into misophonia treatments has been limited and it is unclear what treatment approaches may be effective. This systematic review extracted and synthesized relevant treatment research on misophonia to examine the efficacy of various intervention modalities and identify current trends in order to guide future treatment research. PubMed, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Central were searched 4using the keywords "misophonia," "decreased sound tolerance," "selective sound sensitivity," or "decreased sound sensitivity." Of the 169 records available for initial screening, 33 studied misophonia treatment specifically. Data were available for one randomized controlled trial, one open label trial, and 31 case studies. Treatments included various forms of psychotherapy, medication, and combinations of the two. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) incorporating various components has been the most often utilized and effective treatment for reduction of misophonia symptoms in one randomized trial and several case studies/series. Beyond CBT, various case studies suggested possible benefit from other treatment approaches depending on the patient's symptom profile, although methodological rigor was limited. Given the limitations in the literature to date, including overall lack of rigor, lack of comparative studies, limited replication, and small sample size, the field would benefit from the development of mechanism-informed treatments, rigorous randomized trials, and treatment development with an eye towards dissemination and implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth A. Mattson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
| | - Johann D’Souza
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
| | - Katharine D. Wojcik
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
| | - Andrew G. Guzick
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
| | - Wayne K. Goodman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
| | - Eric A. Storch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
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16
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Guzick AG, Cervin M, Smith EEA, Clinger J, Draper I, Goodman WK, Lijffijt M, Murphy N, Lewin AB, Schneider SC, Storch EA. Clinical characteristics, impairment, and psychiatric morbidity in 102 youth with misophonia. J Affect Disord 2023; 324:395-402. [PMID: 36584703 PMCID: PMC9878468 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is little information on the clinical presentation, functional impact, and psychiatric characteristics of misophonia in youth, an increasingly recognized syndrome characterized by high emotional reactivity to certain sounds and associated visual stimuli. METHOD One-hundred-two youth (8-17 years-old) with misophonia and their parents were recruited and compared with 94 youth with anxiety disorders. Participants completed validated assessments of misophonia severity, quality of life, as well as psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses. RESULTS The most common misophonia triggers included eating (96 %), breathing (84 %), throat sounds (66 %), and tapping (54 %). Annoyance/irritation, verbal aggression, avoidance behavior, and family impact were nearly universal. Misophonia severity was associated with internalizing symptoms, child-reported externalizing behaviors, and poorer quality of life. High rates of comorbidity with internalizing and neurodevelopmental disorders were found. Quality of life and externalizing behaviors were not significantly different between misophonia and anxiety samples; internalizing symptoms and autism characteristics were significantly higher among youth with anxiety disorders. LIMITATIONS This self-selected sample was characterized by limited multicultural diversity. CONCLUSIONS This study presents misophonia as a highly impairing psychiatric syndrome. Future interdisciplinary work should clarify the mechanisms of misophonia, establish evidence-based treatments, and extend these findings to randomly sampled and more culturally diverse populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G Guzick
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, United States.
| | - Matti Cervin
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Sweden
| | - Eleanor E A Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
| | - Jane Clinger
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
| | - Isabel Draper
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
| | - Wayne K Goodman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
| | - Marijn Lijffijt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
| | - Nicholas Murphy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
| | - Adam B Lewin
- Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida, United States
| | - Sophie C Schneider
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
| | - Eric A Storch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
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17
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Bagrowska P, Pionke-Ubych R, Gawęda Ł. Do they make these sounds to hurt me? The mediating role of emotion regulation, anxiety and hostile attributions in the relationship between misophonia and paranoia-like thoughts. Schizophr Res 2022; 250:137-142. [PMID: 36410290 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Misophonia is a complex syndrome in which selective auditory stimuli, such as sounds of breathing, sniffing or eating, trigger an intense, negative emotional response. Previous studies have shown that the symptoms of misophonia coexist with a number of mental disorders, such as OCD, depression and anxiety. However, still little is known about other mental states that may be present in this context. A total of 312 people from the non-clinical sample participated in an online correlational study, which aimed at investigating whether there is a significant association between misophonia symptoms and paranoia-like thoughts, as well as to examine what factors might underlie this potential relationship. The results revealed that misophonia positively correlates with paranoia-like thoughts. A serial mediation analysis showed that difficulties in regulating emotions, anxiety and hostile attributions are significant mediators in the relationship between misophonia and paranoia-like thoughts. Importantly, these mediators, above all, form a potential coherent explanatory mechanism underlying this association. Hence, our results highlight the important role of socio-cognitive factors in the conceptualization of misophonia and its relation to paranoia-like thoughts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Bagrowska
- Experimental Psychopathology Lab, Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stefana Jaracza 1, 00-378 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Renata Pionke-Ubych
- Experimental Psychopathology Lab, Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stefana Jaracza 1, 00-378 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Łukasz Gawęda
- Experimental Psychopathology Lab, Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stefana Jaracza 1, 00-378 Warsaw, Poland
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Rosenthal MZ, McMahon K, Greenleaf AS, Cassiello-Robbins C, Guetta R, Trumbull J, Anand D, Frazer-Abel ES, Kelley L. Phenotyping misophonia: Psychiatric disorders and medical health correlates. Front Psychol 2022; 13:941898. [PMID: 36275232 PMCID: PMC9583952 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.941898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Misophonia is characterized by decreased tolerance to specific sounds and associated stimuli that causes significant psychological distress and impairment in daily functioning (Swedo et al., 2022). Aversive stimuli (often called “triggers”) are commonly repetitive facial (e.g., nose whistling, sniffling, and throat clearing) or oral (e.g., eating, drinking, and mouth breathing) sounds produced by other humans. Few empirical studies examining the nature and features of misophonia have used clinician-rated structured diagnostic interviews, and none have examined the relationship between misophonia and psychiatric disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5th version (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). In addition, little is known about whether there are any medical health problems associated with misophonia. Accordingly, the purpose of the present study was to improve the phenotypic characterization of misophonia by investigating the psychiatric and medical health correlates of this newly defined disorder. Structured diagnostic interviews were used to assess rates of lifetime and current DSM-5 psychiatric disorders in a community sample of 207 adults. The three most commonly diagnosed current psychiatric disorders were: (1) social anxiety disorder, (2) generalized anxiety disorder, and (3) specific phobia. The three most common lifetime psychiatric disorders were major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. A series of multiple regression analyses indicated that, among psychiatric disorders that were correlated with misophonia, those that remained significant predictors of misophonia severity after controlling for age and sex were borderline personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and panic disorder. No medical health problems were significantly positively correlated with misophonia severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Zachary Rosenthal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavior, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
- *Correspondence: M. Zachary Rosenthal,
| | - Kibby McMahon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavior, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Anna S. Greenleaf
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | | | - Rachel Guetta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Jacqueline Trumbull
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | | | - Emily S. Frazer-Abel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavior, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Lisalynn Kelley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavior, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
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19
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Efraim Kaufman A, Weissman-Fogel I, Rosenthal MZ, Kaplan Neeman R, Bar-Shalita T. Opening a window into the riddle of misophonia, sensory over-responsiveness, and pain. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:907585. [PMID: 35992931 PMCID: PMC9381840 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.907585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Misophonia and sensory over-responsiveness (SOR) share physiological and psychological symptoms. While individuals with SOR demonstrate pain perception alterations, these were not explored in misophonia. Methods This exploratory study comprised thirty healthy adults with (n = 15; based on the Misophonia Questionnaire) and without misophonia. The Sensory Responsiveness Questionnaire (SRQ) was used for evaluating sensory responsiveness. In addition, psychophysical tests were applied for quantification of: (i) stimulus-response function of painful stimuli, (ii) the individual perceived pain intensity, (iii) pain modulation efficiency, (iv) auditory intensity discrimination capability, and (v) painful and unpleasantness responses to six ecological daily sounds using the Battery of Aversiveness to Sounds (BAS). Results Individuals with misophonia reported higher scores in the SRQ-Aversive (p = 0.022) and SRQ-Hedonic (p = 0.029) scales as well as in auditory (p = 0.042) and smell (p = 0.006) sub-scales, indicating higher sensory responsiveness. Yet they were not identified with the SOR type of sensory modulation dysfunction. Groups did not differ in the pain psychophysical tests, and in auditory discrimination test scores (p > 0.05). However, in the misophonia group the BAS evoked higher pain intensity (p = 0.046) and unpleasantness (p <0.001) ratings in the apple biting sound, and higher unpleasantness rating in the scraping a dish sound (p = 0.007), compared to the comparison group. Conclusion Findings indicate increased sensory responsiveness in individuals with misophonia, yet not defined as SOR. Thus, this suggests that misophonia and SOR are two distinct conditions, differing in their behavioral responses to painful and non-painful stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adi Efraim Kaufman
- Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Professions, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Irit Weissman-Fogel
- Physical Therapy Department, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - M. Zachary Rosenthal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Misophonia and Emotion Regulation, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Ricky Kaplan Neeman
- Department of Communication Disorders, School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tami Bar-Shalita
- Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Professions, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Williams ZJ, Cascio CJ, Woynaroski TG. Psychometric validation of a brief self-report measure of misophonia symptoms and functional impairment: The duke-vanderbilt misophonia screening questionnaire. Front Psychol 2022; 13:897901. [PMID: 35936331 PMCID: PMC9355318 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.897901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Misophonia is a newly described disorder of sound tolerance characterized by strong negative emotional reactions to specific "trigger" sounds, resulting in significant distress, pathological avoidance, and impairment in daily life. Research on misophonia is still in its infancy, and most existing psychometric tools for assessing misophonia symptoms have not been extensively validated. The purpose of the current study was to introduce and psychometrically validate the duke-vanderbilt Misophonia Screening Questionnaire (DVMSQ), a novel self-report measure of misophonia symptoms that can be used to determine misophonia "caseness" in clinical and research settings. Employing large online samples of general population adults (n = 1403) and adults on the autism spectrum (n = 936), we rigorously evaluated the internal structure, reliability, validity, and measurement invariance of the DVMSQ. Results indicated that 17 of the 20 original DVMSQ items fit well to a bifactor structure with one "general misophonia" factor and four specific factors (anger/aggression, distress/avoidance, impairment, and global impact). DVMSQ total and subscale scores were highly reliable in both general population and autistic adult samples, and the measure was found to be approximately invariant across age, sex, education level, and autism status. DVMSQ total scores also correlated strongly with another measure of misophonia symptoms (Duke Misophonia Questionnaire-Symptom Scale), with correlations between these two measures being significantly stronger than correlations between the DVMSQ and scales measuring other types of sound intolerance (Inventory of Hyperacusis Symptoms [General Loudness subscale] and DSM-5 Severity Measure for Specific Phobia [modified for phonophobia]). Additionally, DVMSQ items were used to operationalize diagnostic criteria for misophonia derived from the Revised Amsterdam Criteria, which were further updated to reflect a recent consensus definition of misophonia (published after the development of the DVMSQ). Using the new DVMSQ algorithm, 7.3% of general population adults and 35.5% of autistic adults met criteria for clinically significant misophonia. Although additional work is needed to further investigate the psychometric properties of the DVMSQ and validate its theory-based screening algorithm using best-estimate clinical diagnoses, this novel measure represents a potentially useful tool to screen for misophonia and quantify symptom severity and impairment in both autistic adults and the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J. Williams
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States,Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States,Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States,Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States,Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States,*Correspondence: Zachary J. Williams,
| | - Carissa J. Cascio
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States,Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States,Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Tiffany G. Woynaroski
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States,Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States,Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States,Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States,Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, United States
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Aazh H, Erfanian M, Danesh AA, Moore BCJ. Audiological and Other Factors Predicting the Presence of Misophonia Symptoms Among a Clinical Population Seeking Help for Tinnitus and/or Hyperacusis. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:900065. [PMID: 35864982 PMCID: PMC9294447 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.900065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper evaluates the proportion and the audiological and other characteristics of patients with symptoms of misophonia among a population seeking help for tinnitus and/or hyperacusis at an audiology clinic (n = 257). To assess such symptoms, patients were asked “over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems? Feeling angry or anxious when hearing certain sounds related to eating noises, lip-smacking, sniffling, breathing, clicking sounds, tapping?”. The results of routine audiological tests and self-report questionnaires were gathered retrospectively from the records of the patients. Measures included: pure tone audiometry, uncomfortable loudness levels (ULLs), and responses to the tinnitus impact questionnaire (TIQ), the hyperacusis impact questionnaire (HIQ), and the screening for anxiety and depression in tinnitus (SAD-T) questionnaire. The mean age of the patients was 53 years (SD = 16) (age range 17 to 97 years). Fifty four percent were female. Twenty-three percent of patients were classified as having misophonia. The presence and frequency of reporting misophonia symptoms were not related to audiometric thresholds, except that a steeply sloping audiogram reduced the likelihood of frequent misophonia symptoms. Those with more frequent misophonia symptoms had lower values of ULLmin (the across-frequency average of ULLs for the ear with lower average ULLs) than those with less frequent or no reported symptoms. The reported frequency of experiencing misophonia symptoms increased with increasing impact of tinnitus (TIQ score ≥9), increasing impact of hyperacusis (HIQ score >11), and symptoms of anxiety and depression (SAD-T score ≥4). It is concluded that, when assessing individuals with tinnitus and hyperacusis, it is important to screen for misophonia, particularly when ULLmin is abnormally low or the TIQ, HIQ or SAD-T score is high. This will help clinicians to distinguish patients with misophonia, guiding the choice of therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hashir Aazh
- Audiology Department, Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Guildford, United Kingdom
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences (FEPS), University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Hashir Aazh,
| | - Mercede Erfanian
- UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, The Bartlett, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ali A. Danesh
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
| | - Brian C. J. Moore
- Cambridge Hearing Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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22
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Ferrer-Torres A, Giménez-Llort L. Misophonia: A Systematic Review of Current and Future Trends in This Emerging Clinical Field. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19116790. [PMID: 35682372 PMCID: PMC9180704 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Misophonia is a scarcely known disorder. This systematic review (1) offers a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the literature since 2001, (2) identifies the most relevant aspects but also controversies, (3) identifies the theoretical and methodological approaches, and (4) highlights the outstanding advances until May 2022 as well as aspects that remain unknown and deserve future research efforts. Misophonia is characterized by strong physiological, emotional, and behavioral reactions to auditory, visual, and/or kinesthetic stimuli of different nature regardless of their physical characteristics. These misophonic responses include anger, general discomfort, disgust, anxiety, and avoidance and escape behaviors, and decrease the quality of life of the people with the disorder and their relatives. There is no consensus on the diagnostic criteria yet. High comorbidity between misophonia and other psychiatric and auditory disorders is reported. Importantly, the confusion with other disorders contributes to its underdiagnosis. In recent years, assessment systems with good psychometric properties have increased considerably, as have treatment proposals. Although misophonia is not yet included in international classification systems, it is an emerging field of growing scientific and clinical interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Ferrer-Torres
- L’Alfatier-Centro Médico Psicológico, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-934-761-700
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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Webb J, Keane S. MDMA for the treatment of misophonia, a proposal. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:983285. [PMID: 36440420 PMCID: PMC9685534 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.983285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Misophonia is a disorder characterized by negative physical and emotional reactions to certain trigger sounds, such as chewing food. Up to 50% of population samples endorse some symptoms of misophonia, with about 20% having symptoms that impair normal life functioning. Most misophonia patients exhibit intense negative emotions and autonomic arousal (the fight-flight-freeze response) in response to a trigger, similarly to how someone with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) might respond to a trauma trigger. Curiously, misophonia trigger sounds are often most distressing when coming from a specific person, suggesting the disorder may be responsive to interpersonal relationship factors. Treatment of misophonia is currently limited to the use of hearing modifications (e.g., earplugs or headphones) and psychotherapy, but many patients continue to suffer despite these best efforts. Phase 3 clinical trials suggest that MDMA is efficacious at treating the symptoms of autonomic arousal, negative emotions, and interpersonal suffering found in PTSD. As such, we propose that MDMA may represent an ideal treatment for some suffering from severe misophonia. In this perspective article, we review the symptoms of misophonia, and outline how MDMA may be uniquely suited for treating it, perhaps using a protocol analogous to the MAPS Phase 3 studies for PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jadon Webb
- Bloom Mental Health LLC, Littleton, CO, United States
| | - Shannon Keane
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, United States
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Smit DJA, Bakker M, Abdellaoui A, Hoetink AE, Vulink N, Denys D. A genome-wide association study of a rage-related misophonia symptom and the genetic link with audiological traits, psychiatric disorders, and personality. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:971752. [PMID: 36760791 PMCID: PMC9902885 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.971752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction People with misophonia experience strong negative emotional responses to sounds and associated stimuli-mostly human produced-to an extent that it may cause impairment in social functioning. The exact nature of the disorder remains a matter of ongoing research and debate. Here, we investigated the genetic etiology of misophonia to understand contributing genetic factors and shed light on individual differences in characteristics that are related to the disorder. Methods For misophonia, we used an unpublished genome-wide association study (GWAS) from genetic service provider 23andMe, Inc., on a self-report item probing a single common misophonic symptom: the occurrence of rage when others produce eating sounds. First, we used gene-based and functional annotation analyses to explore neurobiological determinants of the rage-related misophonia symptom. Next, we calculated genetic correlations (r G) of this rage-related misophonia symptom GWAS with a wide range of traits and disorders from audiology (tinnitus, hearing performance, and hearing trauma), psychiatry, neurology, and personality traits. Results The rage-related misophonia symptom was significantly correlated with tinnitus, major depression disorder (MDD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD; 0.12 < r G < 0.22). Stronger genetic correlations (0.21 < r G < 0.42) were observed for two clusters of personality traits: a guilt/neuroticism and an irritability/sensitivity cluster. Our results showed no genetic correlation with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and psychotic disorders. A negative correlation with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was found, which may be surprising given the previously reported comorbidities and the sensory sensitivity reported in ASD. Clustering algorithms showed that rage-related misophonia consistently clustered with MDD, generalized anxiety, PTSD, and related personality traits. Discussion We conclude that-based on the genetics of a common misophonia symptom-misophonia most strongly clusters with psychiatric disorders and a personality profile consistent with anxiety and PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk J A Smit
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Melissa Bakker
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Abdel Abdellaoui
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Alexander E Hoetink
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Nienke Vulink
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Damiaan Denys
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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