Tag: OCD: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Introduction

By analogy with misogyny and misanthropy, misophonia ought to mean hatred of noise.

In fact, it is a recent coinage used to label the phenomenon of strong aversive reactions to sounds originating in other people’s oral or nasal cavities, such as chewing, sniffing, slurping, and lip smacking.

A report of a large series of cases seen in the Netherlands suggests that misophonia is well on its way to becoming a new psychiatric disorder (see below) (Jager et al., 2020).

Some commentators have expressed concern at the creeping medicalisation of quirks of human behaviour (BMJ, 2020).

What is Misophonia?

• It is also known as Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome.
• Misophonia is a disorder in which certain sounds trigger emotional or physiological responses that some might perceive as unreasonable given the circumstance.
• Those who have misophonia might describe it as when a sound “drives you crazy.”
• Their reactions can range from anger and annoyance to panic and the need to flee.

Research Paper Title

Misophonia: Phenomenology, comorbidity and demographics in a large sample.

Objective

Analyse a large sample with detailed clinical data of misophonia subjects in order to determine the psychiatric, somatic and psychological nature of the condition.

Methods

This observational study of 779 subjects with suspected misophonia was conducted from January 2013 to May 2017 at the outpatient-clinic of the Amsterdam University Medical Centres, location AMC, the Netherlands. The researchers examined DSM-IV diagnoses, results of somatic examination (general screening and hearing tests), and 17 psychological questionnaires (e.g. SCL-90-R, WHOQoL).

Results

The diagnosis of misophonia was confirmed in 575 of 779 referred subjects (74%). In the sample of misophonia subjects (mean age, 34.17 [SD = 12.22] years; 399 women [69%]), 148 (26%) subjects had comorbid traits of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, 58 (10%) mood disorders, 31 (5%) attention-deficit (hyperactivity) disorder, and 14 (3%) autism spectrum conditions. 2% reported tinnitus and 1% hyperacusis. In a random subgroup of 109 subjects the researchers performed audiometry, and found unilateral hearing loss in 3 of them (3%). Clinical neurological examination and additional blood test showed no abnormalities. Psychological tests revealed perfectionism (97% CPQ>25) and neuroticism (stanine 7 NEO-PI-R). Quality of life was heavily impaired and associated with misophonia severity (rs (184) = -.34 p = < .001, p = < .001).

Limitations

This was a single site study, leading to possible selection–and confirmation bias, since AMC-criteria were used.

Conclusions

This study with 575 subjects is the largest misophonia sample ever described.

Based on these results the researchers propose a set of revised criteria useful to diagnose misophonia as a psychiatric disorder.

References

BMJ 2020;369:m1843.

Jager, I., de Koning, P., Bost, T., Denys, D. & Vulink, N. (2020) Misophonia: Phenomenology, comorbidity and demographics in a large sample. PloS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231390.

Introduction

By analogy with misogyny and misanthropy, misophonia ought to mean hatred of noise.

In fact, it is a recent coinage used to label the phenomenon of strong aversive reactions to sounds originating in other people’s oral or nasal cavities, such as chewing, sniffing, slurping, and lip smacking.

A report of a large series of cases seen in the Netherlands suggests that misophonia is well on its way to becoming a new psychiatric disorder (see below) (Jager et al., 2020).

Some commentators have expressed concern at the creeping medicalisation of quirks of human behaviour (BMJ, 2020).

What is Misophonia?

• It is also known as Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome.
• Misophonia is a disorder in which certain sounds trigger emotional or physiological responses that some might perceive as unreasonable given the circumstance.
• Those who have misophonia might describe it as when a sound “drives you crazy.”
• Their reactions can range from anger and annoyance to panic and the need to flee.

Research Paper Title

Misophonia: Phenomenology, comorbidity and demographics in a large sample.

Objective

Analyse a large sample with detailed clinical data of misophonia subjects in order to determine the psychiatric, somatic and psychological nature of the condition.

Methods

This observational study of 779 subjects with suspected misophonia was conducted from January 2013 to May 2017 at the outpatient-clinic of the Amsterdam University Medical Centres, location AMC, the Netherlands. The researchers examined DSM-IV diagnoses, results of somatic examination (general screening and hearing tests), and 17 psychological questionnaires (e.g. SCL-90-R, WHOQoL).

Results

The diagnosis of misophonia was confirmed in 575 of 779 referred subjects (74%). In the sample of misophonia subjects (mean age, 34.17 [SD = 12.22] years; 399 women [69%]), 148 (26%) subjects had comorbid traits of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, 58 (10%) mood disorders, 31 (5%) attention-deficit (hyperactivity) disorder, and 14 (3%) autism spectrum conditions. 2% reported tinnitus and 1% hyperacusis. In a random subgroup of 109 subjects the researchers performed audiometry, and found unilateral hearing loss in 3 of them (3%). Clinical neurological examination and additional blood test showed no abnormalities. Psychological tests revealed perfectionism (97% CPQ>25) and neuroticism (stanine 7 NEO-PI-R). Quality of life was heavily impaired and associated with misophonia severity (rs (184) = -.34 p = < .001, p = < .001).

Limitations

This was a single site study, leading to possible selection–and confirmation bias, since AMC-criteria were used.

Conclusions

This study with 575 subjects is the largest misophonia sample ever described.

Based on these results the researchers propose a set of revised criteria useful to diagnose misophonia as a psychiatric disorder.

References

BMJ 2020;369:m1843.

Jager, I., de Koning, P., Bost, T., Denys, D. & Vulink, N. (2020) Misophonia: Phenomenology, comorbidity and demographics in a large sample. PloS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231390.