Library

Misophonia

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Misophonia

Top
Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia

Misophonia, literally “hatred of sound,” is a form of decreased sound tolerance. It is a neurological disorder characterized by negative experiences resulting only from specific sounds, whether loud or soft, and is often used interchangeably with the term Selective Sound Sensitivity.[1] The term was coined by American neuroscientists Pawel Jastreboff and Margaret Jastreboff.[2]

Unlike hyperacusis, misophonia is specific for certain sounds. Little is known about the anatomical location of the physiological abnormality that causes such symptoms but it is most likely high central nervous system structures.[3] It is believed to result from abnormally strong connections between the autonomic and limbic systems in the brain, rather than over-activity of the auditory system. A subcortical route within non-classical auditory pathways may be indicated in the condition.[4] Misophonia appears to reflect the auditory symptoms of sensory processing disorder, which typically presents in multiple sensory modes, but more research is needed to understand if, or how the conditions may be related.[5]

Contents

Symptoms

People who have misophonia are most commonly annoyed, or even enraged, by such ordinary sounds as other people eating, breathing, or coughing; certain consonants; or repetitive sounds.[6][7] People with misophonia may be diagnosed with mood or anxiety disorders as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Though a few sufferers are bothered by sounds they make themselves, most are not.[7] The reactions are completely involuntary.

People who have misophonia may also be annoyed by other people's repetitive movements, such as leg-tapping, nail-biting, the rising and falling of the belly, and typing.[8]

Sensitivity to these sounds tends to be exacerbated by stress, hunger, or fatigue.

The onset of the symptoms appears to have a characteristic pattern, often in childhood just prior to or during puberty. Often there is a single initial trigger (such as a parent's or sibling's noises), after which the triggers expand over time to include both auditory or visual elements. It is speculated that there is a genetic basis for this disorder as the etiological data supports a similar pattern of emergence, but this remains to be determined.

Prevalence and comorbidity

The prevalence of misophonia is currently unknown but groups of people identifying with the condition suggest it is more common than previously recognized.[9] Among patients with tinnitus, which is prevalent in 4-5% of the general population,[10] some surveys report prevalence as high as 60%[9] while prevalence in a 2010 study was measured at 10%.[11]

Coping methods and treatment

People with misophonia use various coping methods. Most will simply avoid the offending sound by leaving the area altogether, while some will try to block it with earplugs or music. Intense anxiety and avoidant behavior may develop. Some people may feel the compulsion to mimic what they hear.[9] In more extreme cases, sufferers will not socialise for fear of hearing the sounds. It is important to note that sensitivity to the offending sounds is often far more severe when the origin of the sound comes from a person emotionally connected to the sufferer.

Misophonia is not a well-known diagnosis and few treatment options are available. Anxiolytics have been prescribed to help patients feel calmer in situations that would normally cause anger. Some therapists offer sound sensitivity training. They expose a patient to both 'pleasant' and aggravating sounds in the hope that doing so will reduce immediate feelings of anxiety or rage and eventually desensitise the person to the offending sounds. This method does not currently have supporting clinical data, however. The use of cognitive behavioral therapy can be helpful in managing the anger (in response to a trigger sound) associated with misophonia.[citation needed]

Another treatment option is mindfulness based therapy, training, and treatment. This treatment offers individuals suffering from misophonia ways to deal with and work out their issues with a treatment plan that is life long and provides the individual with tools to handle and alleviate their issues.

See also

References

  1. ^ Jonathan Hazell. "Decreased Sound Tolerance: Hypersensitivity of Hearing". Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Centre, London UK. http://www.tinnitus.org/home/frame/hyp1.htm. Retrieved February 5, 2012. 
  2. ^ Pawel J. Jastreboff, Margaret M. Jastreboff (April 2003). "Tinnitis retraining therapy for patients with tinnitus and decreased sound tolerance". Otolaryngol Clin 36(2): 321–36. PMID 12856300. 
  3. ^ Aage R. Møller (2006). Hearing, Second Edition: Anatomy, Physiology, and Disorders of the Auditory System. Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-372519-6. 
  4. ^ Aage R. Møller (2001). Textbook of Tinnitis, part 1. pp. 25–27. doi:10.1007/978-1-60761-145-5_4. http://www.springerlink.com/content/gl87436l77336151/. Retrieved February 5, 2012. 
  5. ^ Rose Kivi (May 10, 2011). "The Similarities Between Misophonia and Sensory Processing Disorder: Is There a Link?". HealthGuideInfo.com. http://www.healthguideinfo.com/neurological-disorders/p100641/. Retrieved February 5, 2012. 
  6. ^ Joyce Cohen (September 5, 2011). "When a Chomp or a Slurp is a Trigger for Outrage". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/health/06annoy.html?_r=3. Retrieved February 5, 2012. 
  7. ^ a b "Four Types of Sound Sensitivity". The Hyperacusis Network. http://www.hyperacusis.net/hyperacusis/4+types+of+sound+sensitivity/default.asp. Retrieved February 5, 2012. 
  8. ^ "Can't Stand Listening To People Eat!". eHealth Forum. December 14, 2007. http://ehealthforum.com/health/topic119142.html. Retrieved February 5, 2012. 
  9. ^ a b c George Hadjipavlou, MD, MA, Susan Baer, MD, PhD, Amanda Lau and Andrew Howard, MD (2008). "Selective Sound Intolerance and Emotional Distress: What Every Clinician Should Hear". Psychosomatic Medicine (American Psychosomatic Society) 70: 739–40. http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/content/70/6/739.short. Retrieved February 2012. 
  10. ^ Jastreboff, P., Jastreboff, M. (July 2, 2001). "Components of decreased sound tolerance : hyperacusis, misophonia, phonophobia". http://www.tinnitus.org/home/frame/DST_NL2_PJMJ.pdf. Retrieved February 5, 2012. 
  11. ^ Sztuka A, Pospiech L, Gawron W, Dudek K. (2010). "DPOAE in estimation of the function of the cochlea in tinnitus patients with normal hearing.". Auris Nasus Larynx 37(1): 55–60. PMID 19560298. 

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:

Copyrights:

Cite
Wikipedia on Answers.com This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Misophonia. Read more

Featured guides

» More

Mentioned in

Shellshock
SSSS
Phonophobia
Harry Farr