Misophonia, often misunderstood or overlooked, is a neurophysiological syndrome where specific sounds provoke intense emotional and physiological responses. The term was first introduced by audiologists Margaret and Pawel Jastreboff in 2001. Through their work, they noticed that some individuals reacted strongly to everyday sounds—such as chewing, tapping, or typing—triggering reactions far beyond annoyance or discomfort. They proposed that misophonia involved heightened arousal of the autonomic nervous system, sparking a “fight-or-flight” response. Unlike those with hyperacusis, who hear sounds more loudly, people with misophonia respond to repetitive, pattern-based sounds with severe irritation and anxiety.
What Happens in the Brain with Misophonia?
In a literature review by Brout et al., misophonia is described as “a neurophysiological syndrome phenotypically characterized by heightened autonomic nervous system arousal and negative emotional reactivity (e.g., irritation, anger, anxiety) in response to a decreased tolerance for specific sounds.” Simply put, for individuals with misophonia, the brain misinterprets certain sounds as toxic or threatening, triggering a swift survival response.
This reaction occurs in milliseconds: the brain area responsible, the amygdala, responds instantly to perceived threats, activating the body’s fight-or-flight system. This reaction prepares the body to either confront or escape danger, involving physiological responses such as sweating, a rapid heartbeat, and hormonal changes.
To illustrate, think of a sleeping dog pricking its ears in response to a sound. The dog’s brain quickly assesses whether the sound poses a threat. Based on this split-second evaluation, it may either ignore the sound, hide, or bark (fight). This “auditory gating” process is what the human brain experiences with misophonia, but rather than filtering out harmless sounds, it treats benign noises as immediate threats.
Misophonia Is Not a Psychiatric Disorder
Though misophonia provokes intense autonomic reactions, the Jastreboffs clarified that it isn’t classified as a psychiatric disorder. Their findings suggest that misophonia likely arises from negative associations between auditory, cognitive, and emotional areas of the brain. However, due to high research costs, the Jastreboffs did not further study misophonia but focused on adapting treatments previously used for tinnitus and hyperacusis in their clinic.
Understanding misophonia’s origins and how it affects the brain opens pathways for better support and coping strategies for those living with it. Shaylynn Hayes-Raymond, Director of The International Misophonia Foundation, emphasizes the importance of awareness and practical solutions for those affected by this complex condition.