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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Misophonia is known to co-occur with other disorders to varying degrees. Better understanding the similarities and differences with co-occurring disorders may help guide interventions that target shared features or underlying biology— accelerating our timeline to defined, effective treatment pathways. Previous research has found a link between attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and sensory sensitivity. The connection between ADHD and misophonia has been studied less but some reports have found that ~12-20% of study participants with misophonia have ADHD, with more research being important to confirm the overlap between the two disorders. Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS) is a disorder with symptoms like daydreaming, low energy, and mental “fog” that occurs in 39-59% of youth with ADHD.

This study explored possible links between misophonia and ADHD and CDS. More specifically, the researchers examined whether adolescents with ADHD experience more misophonia symptoms, and whether CDS helps explain the connection between attention difficulties and misophonia.

METHODS

The study included 53 adolescents with ADHD and 50 without ADHD (ages 12-18). Participants and their parents completed interviews and questionnaires measuring misophonia, ADHD, and CDS. Analyses compared groups and tested whether CDS helped explain any relationship between ADHD symptoms and misophonia.

RESULTS

Adolescents with ADHD showed higher misophonia severity than those without ADHD. Misophonia was strongly related to CDS symptoms and ADHD inattention and moderately related to hyperactivity/impulsivity. Inattention was the only symptom evaluated that predicted misophonia severity. CDS helped explain part of the connection between inattention and misophonia: teens with more inattention tended to report stronger misophonia symptoms, and this was even more likely when CDS symptoms were also higher.

This study highlights the importance of considering misophonia alongside possible comorbidities, such as ADHD-inattention and CDS, when identifying the best approaches to support adolescents. Furthermore, the link between misophonia, CDS symptoms, and attention difficulties may reflect overlap between these conditions or shared factors that contribute to how these symptoms develop.

These findings point out the need for further research that follows youth over time to better understand the connection between attention and misophonia and the resulting potential for interventions.

Research Paper: The relationship between cognitive disengagement syndrome and misophonia in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: the mediating role of cognitive disengagement syndrome symptoms

Authors: Hacer Gizem Gercek, Borte Gurbuz Ozgur, Zahittin Hayta, Asiye Sapanca, Hatice Aksu

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ABOUT THE RESEARCH TEAM

This study was led by Dr. Hacer Gizem Gercek at Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Dr. Hatice Aksu’s team at İzmir Tınaztepe Üniversitesi in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.