News & Events

Misophonia Research News  |  February 2026

This issue of the MRF’s Misophonia Research News will showcase the misophonia findings within a recent special issue of the journal Hearing Research on misophonia and hyperacusis and relay what they say about the status of the field.

A journal “special issue" brings together multiple studies focused on a specific topic, offering a clear snapshot of where a research field stands at a given moment. For researchers, it helps compare findings, spot patterns, and guides next steps for future studies. For the misophonia community, this special issue spotlights recent research within the field of misophonia and important questions still being explored. Please note that some words or terms include small numbers that point to short definitions you can find at the bottom of the page.

Follow along with the discoveries shaping misophonia research by exploring the summaries below of the misophonia-focused articles in this special issue, translated for the misophonia community.

• Anxiety and depression among Canadian undergraduates with decreased sound tolerance

• Altered brain connections in people with misophonia, with and without hyperacusis

• Social context in misophonia: Does misophonia impact social judgements (& do social judgements impact misophonia)?

• Sound sensitivity and changes in music perception after brain surgery

• Identifying the acoustic fingerprints of trigger sounds and predicting discomfort for misophonia

• Tracing the origins of sound sensitivity and anxiety in young children

• How brain responses to sound differ in people with misophonia

• How certain emotional response patterns are linked to misophonia severity

• Investigating the links between brain chemistry and misophonia

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Anxiety and depression among Canadian undergraduates with decreased sound tolerance

Authors: Carter M. Smith, Natalia Van Esch, Nichole E. Scheerer

KEY RESULTS

In a large study of Canadian university students, researchers found that decreased sound tolerance¹, including misophonia and hyperacusis, was common and strongly linked to mental health difficulties (e.g., anxiety and depression) that can affect daily life and participation in school.

METHODS

The study surveyed over 2,000 undergraduate students using validated questionnaires to measure misophonia, hyperacusis, anxiety, and depression. Importantly, the researchers used updated misophonia assessment tools aligned with the latest clinical definitions, strengthening confidence that the findings reflect misophonia as it is understood today. Specifically, to evaluate misophonia they used the Misophonia Questionnaire, the Duke-Vanderbilt Misophonia Screening Questionnaire, and the Duke Misophonia Questionnaire.

IMPACT

These findings add research-based evidence to what many people with lived experience often report: that sound sensitivity is closely connected to mental health and can affect daily functioning, participation in school, and overall well-being. The authors emphasize the need for greater awareness of misophonia and hyperacusis in college and university environments and call for future research focused on identifying effective ways to accommodate, manage, and treat these conditions in student populations. Together, these findings highlight decreased sound tolerance as an important — and often overlooked — factor in mental health and well-being.

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Altered brain connections in people with misophonia, with and without hyperacusis

Authors: Shagun Ajmera, Rafay A. Khan, Gibbeum Kim, Namitha Jain, Ariana Castro, Howard Berenbaum, Fatima T. Husain

KEY RESULTS

Misophonia affects how different parts of the brain communicate, and these communication patterns differ depending on whether hyperacusis is also present. Using brain imaging, researchers found both shared and unique differences in how brain areas communicate in people with misophonia alone and those with both misophonia and hyperacusis.

METHODS

Researchers used advanced brain imaging² and analysis methods to compare three groups: people with misophonia only, people with misophonia and hyperacusis, and people without sound sensitivity. This data allowed researchers to examine communication patterns between brain areas involved in attention, emotion, movement, and sensory processing.

IMPACT

Both misophonia groups showed differences in communication patterns in brain networks referred to as the salience, somatomotor, and frontoparietal control networks. These networks are specific clusters of brain areas that are involved in a variety of tasks such as detecting important stimuli, regulating emotions, controlling physical responses, and directing attention. These findings match earlier studies and strengthen confidence that these differences are a real part of misophonia.

However, the two groups were not identical. People with misophonia only showed differences in brain areas involved in motor control and habit-related networks, while those with both misophonia and hyperacusis showed additional changes in brain areas related to interpreting visual information. These findings give additional biological evidence for effects that go beyond sound alone—a known experience for those with misophonia.

Together, these findings show that researchers and clinicians need to pay attention to whether someone has hyperacusis as well as misophonia, because the two conditions can affect the brain in different ways and may benefit from different treatment approaches.

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Social context in misophonia: Does misophonia impact social judgements (& do social judgements impact misophonia)?

Authors: Maya Humolli, Giulia Poerio, Julia Simner

KEY RESULTS

Researchers found that for people with misophonia, how unpleasant a trigger sound felt was influenced by how likable they perceived the person making the sound. In turn, hearing trigger sounds could also change how likable that person seemed —demonstrating that sound reactions and social perceptions are closely connected.

METHODS

Across two experiments, the researchers compared adults with misophonia to people without sound sensitivity. In the first experiment, participants read short descriptions of fictional people that portrayed them in positive, neutral, or negative ways. When no sounds were present, people with misophonia judged the fictional people the same as people without misophonia, showing no differences in social judgments.

In the second experiment, participants read similar descriptions but then watched videos of those same people eating and rated both the person and the sound. Here, clear differences emerged. Sounds were judged as more unpleasant when they came from people who had been described negatively, especially for participants with misophonia. Additionally, people with misophonia rated individuals as less pleasant after hearing them make eating sounds—even when those individuals had previously been described in positive ways.

IMPACT

Together, these findings suggest that unpleasant sounds are harder to tolerate for people with misophonia when they come from individuals deemed to be less likeable, and that even highly likeable people can be judged more harshly if they produce trigger sounds. Importantly, the study also shows that these social effects only emerge in the presence of trigger sounds, reinforcing that misophonia does not reflect a general bias in social judgment, but rather a sound-driven process with social consequences.

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Sound sensitivity and changes in music perception after brain surgery

Authors: Emily R. Dappen, Joel I. Berger, Amy M. Belfi, Joel Bruss, Timothy D. Griffiths, Alexander J. Billig, Ariane E. Rhone, Kirill V. Nourski, Daniel Tranel, Brian J. Dlouhy

KEY RESULTS

In this paper, doctors reported the first known case of an individual who developed both misophonia and changes in music perception after undergoing brain surgery. After surgery to treat epilepsy, this patient experienced strong misophonia symptoms and difficulty understanding music (a disorder called “amusia”), even though their basic hearing abilities were otherwise unchanged.

METHODS

This article is a case study³ that describes a single patient—a 21-year-old woman who underwent brain surgery to treat drug-resistant epilepsy. Several months later, she completed a series of tests designed to understand how she processes everyday sounds and music.

The testing showed that the patient had difficulty with several parts of music perception and a very high sensitivity to certain everyday sounds, consistent with misophonia. Importantly, her ability to hear speech in noisy settings and her enjoyment of music were similar to people without sound sensitivity, suggesting that these changes were not due to general hearing loss.

IMPACT

Because these symptoms appeared after brain surgery and had not been present beforehand, this case provides rare insight into how changes in the brain, in this case induced by brain surgery, can affect sound tolerance and music perception. While this report describes only one individual, it offers valuable clues for clinicians and researchers studying how misophonia can develop following neurological changes.

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Identifying the acoustic fingerprints of trigger sounds and predicting discomfort for misophonia

Authors: Alex C. Clonan, Ian H. Stevenson, Monty A. Escabí

KEY RESULTS

Trigger sounds are often grouped into broad categories, but scientists still don’t know exactly which specific features of those sounds make them feel aversive, or why different people have different specific triggers within these categories. By analyzing patterns within trigger sounds, researchers identified specific sound qualities are linked to discomfort for individuals with misophonia. Using these sound qualities, they were able to predict how uncomfortable different sounds would feel for people with misophonia.

METHODS

Researchers asked participants with misophonia to rate how uncomfortable they found a large set of everyday sounds. The research team then used a computer-based analysis tool to break each sound into measurable sound qualities, or spectrotemporal modulations, which is a term that means the changes in pitch and loudness over time. Using these sound qualities, the researchers tested how well they could estimate participants’ discomfort ratings for sounds that had already been rated, and whether the same approach could be used to estimate reactions to new sounds.

IMPACT

The study found that certain sound qualities are closely linked to discomfort, helping explain why some sounds are more difficult to tolerate than others. This supports the idea that misophonia is influenced by the features of sounds themselves, not only by their source or meaning. Understanding which sound qualities are most uncomfortable may help researchers better define misophonia triggers and guide future work aimed at improving sound-based coping strategies and supports.

More Findings Soon: This study marks the beginning of a large MRF-funded research project by Dr. Escabí at the University of Connecticut. Learn more here.

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Tracing the origins of sound sensitivity and anxiety in young children

Authors: Ava Schwartz, Grace Pulliam, Jacob I. Feldman, Kacie Dunham-Carr, S. Madison Clark, Kelsea McClurkin, Carissa J. Cascio, Bahar Keçeli-Kaysılı, Tiffany Woynaroski

KEY RESULTS

In this small, early study, researchers found that children who were more sensitive to sounds around age three were more likely to show higher anxiety several years later. They also found that children who were sensitive to sounds often showed sensitivity to other everyday experiences earlier in life, such as strong reactions to touch, movement, or busy environments. When researchers looked more closely at the data, the links between early sound sensitivity and later anxiety were strongest in children who had both an older autistic sibling and were later diagnosed with autism themselves.

Together, findings so far suggest that sound sensitivity may develop early in childhood as part of a larger pattern of sensory sensitivities, rather than starting on its own.

METHODS

This was a longitudinal study⁴, meaning researchers followed a small group of children over several years to explore early sensory development. Some of the children had an older autistic sibling, which places them at higher likelihood for autism and related sensory sensitivities, while others did not. This design allowed researchers to explore how early sensory experiences might unfold differently across groups with higher and lower likelihood to develop sensory sensitivity.

Parents reported on their children’s responses to everyday experiences at multiple ages. Around age two, parents answered questions about general sensory sensitivities, such as strong reactions to textures, movement, or crowded or noisy settings. Around age three, parents reported on children’s reactions to everyday sounds. Children’s anxiety levels were then assessed later in childhood, between ages five and eight.

IMPACT

While the age that misophonia generally starts is an active area of clinical investigation, misophonia is typically first observed or identified in childhood or early adolescence (see the Consensus Definition). The goal of Dr. Woynaroski’s ongoing research is to examine how sensitivity to everyday sounds develops in early childhood, and whether early sensory sensitivities may offer clues for recognizing sound tolerance challenges earlier in life.

This study offers early evidence that sensory sensitivities, including sensitivity to sound, can begin very early in life and may be connected to later anxiety for some children. The findings suggest that sound sensitivity may be identified earlier in childhood, which could allow for earlier support, particularly for children with a higher likelihood of autism who may follow a different developmental path.

More Findings Soon: These early findings highlight the importance of continuing research to better understand how early sensory experiences shape well-being as children grow. The continued research into these questions is currently being carried out at Vanderbilt University, led by MRF funded investigator Dr. Tiffany Woynaroski.

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How brain responses to sound differ in people with misophonia

Authors: Kamalakannan Karupaiah, Rakesh Trinesh, Ajith Kumar Uppunda, Prashanth Prabhu

KEY RESULTS

This study found different brain responses in the moments immediately after hearing a sound in people with misophonia compared to those without misophonia. These differences appear very quickly—within fractions of a second after a sound is heard—and reflect how the brain first reacts to sound itself. People with misophonia showed responses that happened slightly sooner and were smaller in certain parts of the brain involved in interpreting sound, suggesting that the brain may be handling sounds differently from the very start.

Importantly, these differences were observed independent of emotional reaction, suggesting that misophonia involves differences in how sounds first activate the brain, before they are interpreted as distressing.

METHODS

Researchers measured brain activity in 30 adults—half with misophonia and half without—using electroencephalography (EEG), a commonly used, non-invasive method that records the electrical activity in the brain that reflects patterns of coordinated activity across different brain areas. While participants listened to sounds, EEG captured how quickly the brain responded and the strength of those responses right after each sound—responses that scientists have studied for decades to understand how the brain interprets sound. By comparing the timing and size of the brain responses in these two groups, they were able to identify differences in how people with misophonia responded to sound.

IMPACT

These findings add to growing evidence that misophonia is linked to differences in how the brain responds to sounds at the earliest stages of hearing, before conscious thought or emotional interpretation takes place. This suggests that misophonia may involve changes in the brain’s initial handling of sound, rather than being driven solely by emotional reactions.

The study also identified a consistent difference in early brain responses in the group with misophonia, which could become a useful biological clue for future research. Over time, this type of brain-based evidence can help researchers better understand misophonia, improve how it is identified expediting the diagnosis process, and support new treatment development.

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How certain emotional response patterns are linked to misophonia severity

Authors: Sajana Aryal, Ashley Moskovich, Prashanth Prabhu, M. Zachary Rosenthal

KEY RESULTS

This study found that emotion regulation⁵, which includes the capacity to identify and accept feelings, regulate behavior, and engage in goal-directed activities when in the presence of emotional distress, was closely linked to misophonia severity, but not to hyperacusis severity. Symptom severity was specifically linked to difficulties with behaviors focused on moving toward or fulfilling goals, impulse control, and accessing helpful ways to cope during moments of distress. These same patterns were not linked to hyperacusis symptoms, even though both conditions involve sound intolerance. Importantly, misophonia severity was not linked to difficulty noticing or understanding emotions.

METHODS

The study included 143 adults with misophonia. Participants completed questionnaires about their sound sensitivity and about different ways emotional responses can show up in their daily life.

The researchers examined whether certain emotional response patterns tend to appear alongside misophonia and hyperacusis. They focused on everyday experiences such as how easy it is to stay focused when upset, how quickly reactions escalate, and how accessible calming or grounding strategies feel during distress.

IMPACT

Understanding these patterns in emotion responses helps distinguish misophonia from hyperacusis and may point clinicians in the direction of established approaches or tools that target emotion regulation.

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Investigating the links between brain chemistry and misophonia

Authors: Jamie Ward, Romarua Agbude, Rebecca Smees, Julia Simner, Itamar Ronen0

KEY RESULTS

The researchers tested whether differences in neurotransmitters—chemical messengers that help brain cells communicate and shape brain activity—might explain earlier findings of altered brain activity in people with misophonia. They found no meaningful links between neurotransmitter levels in people with misophonia or hyperacusis. However, they note that further research would be beneficial.  

METHODS

The study included 60 adults—30 with misophonia and 30 without—while also measuring hyperacusis and other examples of sensory sensitivity. Researchers used a specialized brain imaging technique called magnetic resonance spectroscopy that allows scientists to measure neurotransmitters in the brain that are responsible for shaping brain activity.

More specifically, the study focused on measuring neurotransmitter levels in the auditory cortex (interprets sound information), the insula (connects sensory input with emotional and bodily responses), and the visual cortex (interprets visual information). The study also excluded other health conditions known to affect brain chemistry (e.g., tinnitus, migraine, and autism) to ensure the results reflect sound sensitivity as clearly as possible.

IMPACT

The findings of this study suggest that misophonia and hyperacusis are unlikely to be explained by simple changes in neurotransmitters within the brain areas studied. However, future studies will be important for confirming these findings, expanding across additional brain areas, and continuing to investigate potential brain mechanisms underlying misophonia.

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KEY TERMS

1. Decreased sound tolerance (DST) is a term used by clinicians and researchers to describe several conditions in which everyday sounds cause distress or discomfort. DST includes misophonia, marked by strong emotional reactions to specific trigger sounds, and hyperacusis, which involves physical discomfort in response to ordinary sounds that are perceived as intolerably loud. Some clinical frameworks also include phonophobia (fear or anxiety related to sound) and sound intolerance linked to conditions such as tinnitus or migraine.

2. Researchers in this study used a popular advanced brain imaging technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a brain scan that measures small changes in blood flow that reflect how active different brain areas are over time. Brain-wide patterns of activity, often called brain networks, support everyday functions like paying attention, processing emotions, and preparing the body to respond. Changes in how brain areas communicate have been linked to many neurological and mental health conditions. In misophonia research, scientists study these communication patterns to understand whether differences in how brain areas communicate at rest (as was done in this study) or in response to sounds or emotions may help to explain the cause of misophonia.

3. A case study is a detailed report about one person’s experience with a medical condition. In clinical research, case studies are often used to describe rare or unexpected situations. They help clinicians recognize new patterns and give researchers early clues about possible new areas to research. Because a case study focuses on a single person, its findings are not intended to be applied to everyone with that condition. Instead, case studies show what can happen, flagging important observations for follow up research if/when other clinicians see similar patterns within their own medical practice.

4. A longitudinal study follows the same people over time, collecting information at different ages or stages of life. This type of study helps researchers understand how early experiences or traits are connected to later outcomes, rather than relying on a single snapshot in time. Longitudinal research is especially valuable for learning how conditions develop and change as people grow, which in turn helps identify the most effective times and targets for intervention and support.

5. Emotion regulation refers to the strategies and processes involved in monitoring, evaluating, and modifying emotional reactions. In simpler terms, it describes how the brain and body automatically and intentionally notice emotions, assess what is happening, and shape how emotional responses unfold.