People with misophonia are often told that their reactions to sound are learned, psychological, or difficult to explain medically. A newly published clinical case offers powerful evidence that misophonia can arise directly from changes in the brain, reinforcing that it is a genuine neurological condition.
In early 2026, a research team led by Emily R. Dappen reported the first documented case of acquired misophonia following brain surgery.
What happened in this case
The study describes a 21-year-old woman who underwent surgery on the right side of her brain to treat severe, drug-resistant epilepsy. The surgery involved areas known to play roles in sound perception, emotional processing, and sensory integration.
Following surgery, she developed two new difficulties:
Importantly, these changes appeared after surgery and had not been present before.
What was affected, and what was not
Detailed testing showed a very specific pattern. The patient struggled with certain aspects of music perception, such as recognising musical pitch relationships and contours. At the same time, many other auditory abilities remained intact.
For example:
This selective pattern shows that different sound functions rely on different brain networks, rather than a single “hearing centre”.
Why this matters for misophonia
This is the first published case where misophonia clearly emerged after a known change to specific brain regions. That makes it especially important.
It shows that:
In this case, misophonia did not result from learning or gradual conditioning, but appeared following disruption to brain areas involved in sound interpretation and emotional signalling.
What this tells us about the brain and sound
The regions affected by surgery are involved in integrating sound with emotion, attention, and bodily responses. When these systems are altered, sounds that were once neutral can suddenly feel disturbing or threatening.
This supports modern models of misophonia that focus on:
What this means for people with misophonia
Although this case is rare, it carries an important message. It confirms that misophonia is rooted in brain function, not personality, willpower, or attitude.
It also helps explain why:
Understanding misophonia as a brain-based condition helps reduce blame and opens the door to more compassionate, appropriate care.
What this means for treatment
This study does not test treatments, but it strongly supports approaches that:
At Hashir Tinnitus Clinic, misophonia is approached as a condition involving sound, emotion, and brain networks. Assessment focuses on understanding triggers, reactions, and context so that support can be matched to the underlying pattern.
Learn more
If you would like to read the original open-access research paper, it is available here:
Dappen, E. R., Berger, J. I., Belfi, A. M., Bruss, J., Griffiths, T. D., Billig, A. J., Rhone, A. E., Nourski, K. V., Tranel, D., & Dlouhy, B. J. (2026). A case of acquired amusia and misophonia following right temporal resection. Hearing Research.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2025.109483
If misophonia is affecting your daily life and you would like help understanding what may be driving your reactions to sound, we are always happy to explore this with you during an appointment.
