Auditory Brainstem Response Patterns in Misophonia: A Comparative Study
,
Abstract
Background and Aim: Misophonia is a condition characterized by a reduced tolerance to certain sounds or the stimuli linked to those sounds. Our study aims to investigate the auditory brainstem functioning using electrophysiological measures in normal-hearing individuals with and without misophonia.
Methods: Thirty participants aged between 18 and 30 years were recruited. They were divided into two primary groups: fifteen individuals diagnosed with misophonia and fifteen controls. The selection of participants with misophonia was based on the diagnostic criteria by Schröder et al. and the MisoQuest questionnaire, Auditory brainstem response (ABR) was recorded from all the individuals at lower (11.1/s) and higher stimulus rates (90.1/s).
Results: On analysing the data, individuals with misophonia showed significantly shorter absolute latencies of ABR waves III and V at 11.1/s. Also, there was no significant difference in the absolute amplitude of ABR waves at 11.1/s and 90.1/s between the individuals with and without misophonia.
Conclusion: This study indicates that the shorter absolute latencies of ABR waves III and V in individuals in misophonia could be attributed to hyperactivity at the sub-cortical pathway regions compared to the control group.
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4. Swedo SE, Baguley DM, Denys D, Dixon LJ, Erfanian M, Fioretti A, et al. Consensus Definition of Misophonia: A Delphi Study. Front Neurosci. 2022;16:841816. [DOI:10.3389/fnins.2022.841816]
5. Jastreboff PJ, Jastreboff MM. Treatments for Decreased Sound Tolerance (Hyperacusis and Misophonia). Semin Hear 2014;35(02):105-20. [DOI:10.1055/s-0034-1372527]
6. Campbell J. Letter to the Editor: Misophonia: A Need for Audiological Diagnostic Guidelines. J Am Acad Audiol. 2023;34(7-08):176-80. [DOI:10.1055/a-2125-7645]
7. Brennan CR, Lindberg RR, Kim G, Castro AA, Khan RA, Berenbaum H, et al. Misophonia and Hearing Comorbidities in a Collegiate Population. Ear Hear. 2024;45(2):390-9. [DOI:10.1097/AUD.0000000000001435]
8. Dixon LJ, Schadegg MJ, Clark HL, Sevier CJ, Witcraft SM. Prevalence, phenomenology, and impact of misophonia in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. J Psychopathol Clin Sci. 2024;133(5):403-12. [DOI:10.1037/abn0000904]
9. Aryal S, Prabhu P. Misophonia: Prevalence, impact and co-morbidity among Mysore University students in India - A survey. Neuroscience Research Notes. 2022;5(4):161. [DOI:10.31117/neuroscirn.v5i4.161]
10. Patel NM, Fameen R, Shafeek N, Prabhu P. Prevalence of Misophonia in College Going Students of India: A Preliminary Survey. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2023;75(2):374-8. [DOI:10.1007/s12070-022-03266-z]
11. Sujeeth PR, Hanji R, Nayyar K, Prabhu P. Estimation of Prevalence of Misophonia Among High School Students in India. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2024;76(2):1678-81. [DOI:10.1007/s12070-023-04382-0]
12. Yadav N, Aryal S, Gupta DK, Kaushik C, Prabhu P. Prevalence of Misophonia and Its Characteristics among Amity University Students in India. Indian J Otolaryngol. 2024;30(2):90-5. [DOI:10.4103/indianjotol.indianjotol_117_23]
13. Gowda V, Prabhu P. Prevalence of Misophonia in Adolescents and Adults Across the Globe: A Systematic Review. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2024;76(5):4614-22. [DOI:10.1007/s12070-024-04946-8]
14. Schröder A, van Diepen R, Mazaheri A, Petropoulos-Petalas D, Soto de Amesti V, Vulink N, et al. Diminished n1 auditory evoked potentials to oddball stimuli in misophonia patients. Front Behav Neurosci. 2014;8:123. [DOI:10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00123]
15. Aryal S, Prabhu P. Understanding misophonia from an audiological perspective: a systematic review. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2023;280(4):1529-45. [DOI:10.1007/s00405-022-07774-0]
16. Ila K, Soylemez E, Yilmaz N, Ertugrul S, Turudu S, Karaboya E, et al. Assessment of temporal auditory processing in individuals with misophonia. Hearing Balance Commun. 2023;21(4):286-90. [DOI:10.1080/21695717.2023.2169373]
17. Madappally HV, Nisha KV, Prabhu P. Do Individuals with Misophonia Experience Challenges with Their Auditory Binaural Interaction and Integration Skills? Aud Vestib Res. 2025;34(1):28-36. [DOI:10.18502/avr.v34i1.17269]
18. Aryal S, Prabhu P. Auditory Efferent Pathway Functioning in Individuals with Misophonia. Aud Vestib Res. 2024;33(4):339-48. [DOI:10.18502/avr.v33i4.16652]
19. Muñoz K, Woolley MG, Velasquez D, Ortiz D, San Miguel GG, Petersen JM, et al. Audiological Characteristics of a Sample of Adults With Misophonia. Am J Audiol. 2024;33(4):1202-11. [DOI:10.1044/2024_AJA-24-00111]
20. Kim G, Lindberg R, Jain N, Husain FT. Speech in noise performance in individuals with misophonia and hyperacusis using behavioral and auditory brainstem response. J Acoust Soc Am. 2023;153:A160. [DOI:10.1121/10.0018510]
21. Aryal S, Prabhu P. Auditory brainstem functioning in individuals with misophonia. J Otol. 2023;18(3):139-45. [DOI:10.1016/j.joto.2023.05.006]
22. Aryal S, Prabhu P. Auditory cortical functioning in individuals with misophonia: an electrophysiological investigation. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2024;281(5):2259-73. [DOI:10.1007/s00405-023-08318-w]
23. Cavanna AE, Seri S. Misophonia: current perspectives. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2015;11:2117-23. [DOI:10.2147/NDT.S81438]
24. Schröder A, Vulink N, Denys D. Misophonia: diagnostic criteria for a new psychiatric disorder. PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e54706. [DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0054706]
25. Siepsiak M, Śliwerski A, Łukasz Dragan W. Development and Psychometric Properties of MisoQuest-A New Self-Report Questionnaire for Misophonia. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(5):1797. [DOI:10.3390/ijerph17051797]
26. Jager I, de Koning P, Bost T, Denys D, Vulink N. Misophonia: Phenomenology, comorbidity and demographics in a large sample. PLoS One. 2020;15(4):e0231390. [DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0231390]
27. Newman CW, Jacobson GP, Spitzer JB. Development of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1996;122(2):143-8. [DOI:10.1001/archotol.1996.01890140029007]
28. Khalfa S, Dubal S, Veuillet E, Perez-Diaz F, Jouvent R, Collet L. Psychometric normalization of a hyperacusis questionnaire. ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec. 2002;64(6):436-42. [DOI:10.1159/000067570]
29. Carhart R, Jerger JF. Preferred method for clinical determination of pure-tone thresholds. J Speech Hear Disord. 1959;24(4):330-45. [DOI:10.1044/jshd.2404.330]
30. Clark JL, Roeser RJ, Mendrygal M. Middle ear measu¬res. In: Roeser RJ, Valente M, Hosford-Dunn H, editors. Audiology diagnosis. 2nd ed. New York: Thieme; 2007. p. 380-99.
31. Kemp DT. The basics, the science, and the future potential of otoacoustic emissions. In: Robinette MS, Glattke TJ, editors. Otoacoustic emissions: clinical applications. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Thieme; 2007. p. 7-42.
32. American National Standards Institute. Maximum permissible ambient noise for audiometric test rooms (ANSI S3.1-1999). New York: American National Standards Institute; 1999.
33. Jasper H. The 10-20 electrode system of the International Federation. Electroencephalogr Clin Neuropysiol. 1958;10:370-5.
34. Hood LJ. Clinical applications of the auditory brainstem response. San Diego: Singular Pub. Group; 1998.
35. Hall JW. Handbook of auditory evoked responses. Boston: Allyn & Bacon; 1992.
2. Brout JJ, Edelstein M, Erfanian M, Mannino M, Miller LJ, Rouw R, et al. Investigating Misophonia: A Review of the Empirical Literature, Clinical Implications, and a Research Agenda. Front Neurosci. 2018;12:36. [DOI:10.3389/fnins.2018.00036]
3. Jastreboff MM, Jastreboff PJ. Decreased Sound Tolerance and Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT). The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Audiology. 2002;24(2):74-84. [DOI:10.1375/audi.24.2.74.31105]
4. Swedo SE, Baguley DM, Denys D, Dixon LJ, Erfanian M, Fioretti A, et al. Consensus Definition of Misophonia: A Delphi Study. Front Neurosci. 2022;16:841816. [DOI:10.3389/fnins.2022.841816]
5. Jastreboff PJ, Jastreboff MM. Treatments for Decreased Sound Tolerance (Hyperacusis and Misophonia). Semin Hear 2014;35(02):105-20. [DOI:10.1055/s-0034-1372527]
6. Campbell J. Letter to the Editor: Misophonia: A Need for Audiological Diagnostic Guidelines. J Am Acad Audiol. 2023;34(7-08):176-80. [DOI:10.1055/a-2125-7645]
7. Brennan CR, Lindberg RR, Kim G, Castro AA, Khan RA, Berenbaum H, et al. Misophonia and Hearing Comorbidities in a Collegiate Population. Ear Hear. 2024;45(2):390-9. [DOI:10.1097/AUD.0000000000001435]
8. Dixon LJ, Schadegg MJ, Clark HL, Sevier CJ, Witcraft SM. Prevalence, phenomenology, and impact of misophonia in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. J Psychopathol Clin Sci. 2024;133(5):403-12. [DOI:10.1037/abn0000904]
9. Aryal S, Prabhu P. Misophonia: Prevalence, impact and co-morbidity among Mysore University students in India - A survey. Neuroscience Research Notes. 2022;5(4):161. [DOI:10.31117/neuroscirn.v5i4.161]
10. Patel NM, Fameen R, Shafeek N, Prabhu P. Prevalence of Misophonia in College Going Students of India: A Preliminary Survey. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2023;75(2):374-8. [DOI:10.1007/s12070-022-03266-z]
11. Sujeeth PR, Hanji R, Nayyar K, Prabhu P. Estimation of Prevalence of Misophonia Among High School Students in India. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2024;76(2):1678-81. [DOI:10.1007/s12070-023-04382-0]
12. Yadav N, Aryal S, Gupta DK, Kaushik C, Prabhu P. Prevalence of Misophonia and Its Characteristics among Amity University Students in India. Indian J Otolaryngol. 2024;30(2):90-5. [DOI:10.4103/indianjotol.indianjotol_117_23]
13. Gowda V, Prabhu P. Prevalence of Misophonia in Adolescents and Adults Across the Globe: A Systematic Review. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2024;76(5):4614-22. [DOI:10.1007/s12070-024-04946-8]
14. Schröder A, van Diepen R, Mazaheri A, Petropoulos-Petalas D, Soto de Amesti V, Vulink N, et al. Diminished n1 auditory evoked potentials to oddball stimuli in misophonia patients. Front Behav Neurosci. 2014;8:123. [DOI:10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00123]
15. Aryal S, Prabhu P. Understanding misophonia from an audiological perspective: a systematic review. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2023;280(4):1529-45. [DOI:10.1007/s00405-022-07774-0]
16. Ila K, Soylemez E, Yilmaz N, Ertugrul S, Turudu S, Karaboya E, et al. Assessment of temporal auditory processing in individuals with misophonia. Hearing Balance Commun. 2023;21(4):286-90. [DOI:10.1080/21695717.2023.2169373]
17. Madappally HV, Nisha KV, Prabhu P. Do Individuals with Misophonia Experience Challenges with Their Auditory Binaural Interaction and Integration Skills? Aud Vestib Res. 2025;34(1):28-36. [DOI:10.18502/avr.v34i1.17269]
18. Aryal S, Prabhu P. Auditory Efferent Pathway Functioning in Individuals with Misophonia. Aud Vestib Res. 2024;33(4):339-48. [DOI:10.18502/avr.v33i4.16652]
19. Muñoz K, Woolley MG, Velasquez D, Ortiz D, San Miguel GG, Petersen JM, et al. Audiological Characteristics of a Sample of Adults With Misophonia. Am J Audiol. 2024;33(4):1202-11. [DOI:10.1044/2024_AJA-24-00111]
20. Kim G, Lindberg R, Jain N, Husain FT. Speech in noise performance in individuals with misophonia and hyperacusis using behavioral and auditory brainstem response. J Acoust Soc Am. 2023;153:A160. [DOI:10.1121/10.0018510]
21. Aryal S, Prabhu P. Auditory brainstem functioning in individuals with misophonia. J Otol. 2023;18(3):139-45. [DOI:10.1016/j.joto.2023.05.006]
22. Aryal S, Prabhu P. Auditory cortical functioning in individuals with misophonia: an electrophysiological investigation. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2024;281(5):2259-73. [DOI:10.1007/s00405-023-08318-w]
23. Cavanna AE, Seri S. Misophonia: current perspectives. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2015;11:2117-23. [DOI:10.2147/NDT.S81438]
24. Schröder A, Vulink N, Denys D. Misophonia: diagnostic criteria for a new psychiatric disorder. PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e54706. [DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0054706]
25. Siepsiak M, Śliwerski A, Łukasz Dragan W. Development and Psychometric Properties of MisoQuest-A New Self-Report Questionnaire for Misophonia. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(5):1797. [DOI:10.3390/ijerph17051797]
26. Jager I, de Koning P, Bost T, Denys D, Vulink N. Misophonia: Phenomenology, comorbidity and demographics in a large sample. PLoS One. 2020;15(4):e0231390. [DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0231390]
27. Newman CW, Jacobson GP, Spitzer JB. Development of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1996;122(2):143-8. [DOI:10.1001/archotol.1996.01890140029007]
28. Khalfa S, Dubal S, Veuillet E, Perez-Diaz F, Jouvent R, Collet L. Psychometric normalization of a hyperacusis questionnaire. ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec. 2002;64(6):436-42. [DOI:10.1159/000067570]
29. Carhart R, Jerger JF. Preferred method for clinical determination of pure-tone thresholds. J Speech Hear Disord. 1959;24(4):330-45. [DOI:10.1044/jshd.2404.330]
30. Clark JL, Roeser RJ, Mendrygal M. Middle ear measu¬res. In: Roeser RJ, Valente M, Hosford-Dunn H, editors. Audiology diagnosis. 2nd ed. New York: Thieme; 2007. p. 380-99.
31. Kemp DT. The basics, the science, and the future potential of otoacoustic emissions. In: Robinette MS, Glattke TJ, editors. Otoacoustic emissions: clinical applications. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Thieme; 2007. p. 7-42.
32. American National Standards Institute. Maximum permissible ambient noise for audiometric test rooms (ANSI S3.1-1999). New York: American National Standards Institute; 1999.
33. Jasper H. The 10-20 electrode system of the International Federation. Electroencephalogr Clin Neuropysiol. 1958;10:370-5.
34. Hood LJ. Clinical applications of the auditory brainstem response. San Diego: Singular Pub. Group; 1998.
35. Hall JW. Handbook of auditory evoked responses. Boston: Allyn & Bacon; 1992.
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How to Cite
1.
Karupaiah K, Prabhu P. Auditory Brainstem Response Patterns in Misophonia: A Comparative Study. Aud Vestib Res. 2025;.
