Understanding misophonia from an audiological perspective: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Audiology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Misophonia is a neurophysiological disorder characterized by strong emotional and physiological reactions to specific sounds.
• The underlying neurophysiological mechanisms of misophonia remain largely unknown.
• The multidisciplinary approach to misophonia assessment and management is essential, with audiologists playing a key role.

Approach:

• A systematic review of 12 experimental studies was conducted.
• The review focused on understanding the neurophysiological mechanisms of misophonia, particularly within the audiological pathway.
• The aim was to explore audiological applications for misophonia assessment and management.

Key Points:

• Abnormal activation and connectivity in higher cortical structures were observed in individuals with misophonia.
• Neurophysiological and neuroradiological findings support misophonia as a disorder at the intersection of audiology, neurology, and psychiatry.
• The reviewed studies generally exhibited a low risk of bias.

Conclusions:

• The review underscores the necessity of integrating audiologists into the clinical team for misophonia evaluation and treatment.
• Understanding the audiological pathway is critical for effective misophonia management.
• Further research into the neurophysiological underpinnings of misophonia is warranted.