Misophonia

Misophonie (from Greek: μῖσος miso, hate ' and φωνή phone, sound '), literally " hatred of sound ", is a form of decreased sound tolerance. It is believed that this is a neurological disorder characterized by negative reactions to certain sounds, no matter whether they are perceived as loud or quiet. A classification according to ICD -10 or DSM -IV -TR does not exist.

The term " Misophonie " was coined by the American neuroscientists Pawel and Margaret Jastreboff. A commonly used synonym is Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome, or German as: " Selective noise intolerance ".

Symptoms

In contrast to the pathological hypersensitivity to sound ( hyperacusis ) Misophonie applies only to certain noises. People who suffer from Misophonie feel strongly disturbed and can react angrily to everyday sounds such as Essgeräusche, breathing, sneezing, yawning, chewing gum, laughing, snoring, whistling or other repetitive noises. Some people are also triggered by visual stimuli, such as repetitive foot or body movements, fidgeting or other movements they perceive from the corner of my eye. Extreme anxiety and avoidance behavior can arise, which can lead to social isolation or decreased sociability. Some of those affected are under the compulsion of what they see or hear, imitate.

Little is known about the physiological or anatomical anomaly that triggers the symptoms but it is likely to structures of the central nervous system. It is speculated that the anomaly is more central than the case of hyperacusis.

Frequency and comorbidities

Data on the prevalence (frequency ) of Misophonie are not yet available, but the rising number of people affected, suggesting that it occurs more frequently than previously thought. Among patients with tinnitus, which affects four to five percent of the population, there are studies that report a prevalence of Misophonie of 60 percent. A study from 2010 has a prevalence of ten percent measured from tinnitus patients.

A Dutch study from 2013 with a group of 42 patients with Misophonie has found a low incidence of mental illness, with the exception of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder ( 52.4 percent).