September 2022
Dr Hashir Aazh and his collaborators from the Royal Surrey County Hospital, University College of London, University of Cambridge and Florida Atlantic University published their new research on audiological and other factors predicting the presence of misophonia symptoms in the journal of Frontiers in Neuroscience.
Dr Hashir Aazh and his collaborators from the Royal Surrey County Hospital, University College of London, University of Cambridge and Florida Atlantic University published their new research on audiological and other factors predicting the presence of misophonia symptoms in the journal of Frontiers in Neuroscience. They concluded that among a population seeking help from an audiology clinic for tinnitus and/or hyperacusis, 23% were classified as having misophonia. The presence and frequency of reported symptoms of misophonia were not related to audiometric thresholds, or to the asymmetry of audiometric thresholds across ears, except that a steeply sloping audiogram reduced the likelihood of more frequently reported misophonia symptoms in a 2-week period. The latter effect may reflect the finding that the sounds that trigger misophonia often contain significant energy at high frequencies, and high-frequency hearing loss reduces the likelihood of such sounds being audible. Those with higher scores on sound sensitivity symptoms questionnaire (SSSQ) had lower values of ULLmin (the across-frequency average of uncomfortable loudness levels (ULLs) for the ear with lower average ULLs) than those with lower SSSQ scores. The frequency of reported misophonia symptoms as measured via SSSQ increased with increasing impact of tinnitus. Using a logistic regression model adjusted for the effects of age and gender, it was found that a TIQ (Tinnitus Impact Questionnaire) score ≥9 increased the odds of reporting misophonia symptoms by a factor of 5.4. Using the same adjusted model, it was found that an HIQ (Hyperacusis Impact Questionnaire) score>11 (indicating a significant impact of hyperacusis) increased the odds of reporting misophonia symptoms by a factor of 3.9. Using the same adjusted model, it was found that a SAD-T (Screening for Anxiety and Depression in Tinnitus) score ≥4 (indicating symptoms of anxiety and depression) increased the odds of reporting misophonia symptoms by a factor of 2.8. We conclude that, when assessing individuals with tinnitus and hyperacusis, it is important to screen for misophonia, particularly when ULLmin is abnormally low or the TIQ, HIQ or SAD-T score is abnormally high. This will help clinicians to distinguish misophonia from similar disorders, guiding the choice of therapeutic strategies.
