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Sound-evoked pupil dilation quantifies misophonic symptoms
Jan Willem de Gee1,2, Laia Alonso-Marmelstein3, Kate Schwarz-Roman3
1Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Plos One
|May 20, 2026
Summary
Pupil dilation objectively measures misophonia (sound sensitivity disorder) arousal responses. This pupillometry method accurately identifies even mild misophonia cases and aids in diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Medical Diagnostics
Background:
- Misophonia is a disorder causing intense negative reactions to specific sounds.
- High prevalence necessitates better understanding and diagnostic tools.
- Current subjective self-reports lack objective measurement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate pupillometry as an objective measure of misophonia.
- To determine if pupil dilation can differentiate misophonic responses.
- To assess the utility of pupillometry in diagnosing mild misophonia cases.
Main Methods:
- Pupillometry was used to record pupil dilation in response to trigger sounds.
- Responses were compared between misophonia patients and general unpleasant sounds.
- Correlation between pupil dilation and misophonia symptom severity was analyzed.
Main Results:
- Pupil dilation reliably distinguished misophonic responses from general unpleasantness.
- Mild misophonia cases exhibited characteristic arousal responses via pupil dilation.
- Pupil dilation accurately predicted individual misophonia symptom severity.
Conclusions:
- Pupillometry offers a reliable, objective, and cost-effective method for measuring misophonia.
- Pupil-linked arousal can index even mild misophonic responses.
- This objective measure can aid in the diagnosis and understanding of misophonia.
