Auditory cortical functioning in individuals with misophonia: an electrophysiological investigation

Misophonia is characterized by a reduced tolerance for specific sound triggers. This aspect has been relatively underexplored in audiology, with limited research from the audiological angle. Our primary objective is to compare the auditory late latency response (ALLR) findings between individuals with misophonia and those without it.

A study compared individuals with significant misophonia to a healthy control group. Thirty misophonia participants were categorized into mild and moderate-to-severe groups based on their Amsterdam Misophonia Scale scores. The latency and amplitude of auditory response peaks were analyzed across the groups using the ALLR. Statistical tests included Shapiro-Wilk for data normality, one-way ANOVA for group differences, and Bonferroni post hoc analysis for detailed variation sources.

The result showed a significant difference in latency of P1 and N1 peaks (p < 0.05) of ALLR between the groups in both ears. This suggests a deficit in auditory processing at the cortical level in individuals with misophonia.

Our study substantiates the potential utility of the ALLR as a valuable instrument for evaluating misophonia, particularly from the audiological standpoint.