Misophonia
New Advances in Misophonia Research
Misophonia isn't just about sounds themselves; mental processes play a role as well.
Posted September 25, 2025 Reviewed by Abigail Fagan
The recent Misophonia Collaborative Forum included several research presentations, panel discussions, and couch chats. In one of these presentations, Svetlana Shinkareva of the University of South Carolina presented fascinating new results identifying the brain regions that are overactive when misophonia sufferers are exposed to trigger sounds. Her research further showed that similar physiological reactions (like pupil changes and skin conductance) are elicited whether people are listening to trigger sounds, watching silent videos of trigger sounds, or simply imagining trigger sounds.
This work adds to a growing body of research that suggests that misophonia is not just about sounds themselves; mental processes like attention, expectations, beliefs, and imagination meaningfully impact the way people respond to sounds, pointing to new potential interventions.
As part of this forum, I had the opportunity to share some of my own lab's recent work showing that visual perception can modulate misophonic reactions. When exposed to a trigger sound (like someone chewing), a person's negative reactions can be significantly reduced by simultaneously watching a video that presents an alternative, non-triggering source of the sound (like someone tearing a piece of paper). As part of our research, we have released an open-access "Sound-Swapped Video Database" that can be used by researchers, clinicians, and the lived experience community.
By sharing research findings in a public forum, clinicians and misophonia sufferers alike can capitalize on the findings to inform their own practices and treatment. For example, some clinical groups have started showing videos from the Sound Swapped Video Database to patients as a potential tool to practice psychological distancing from trigger sounds. Likewise, misophonia sufferers can use these videos on their own to practice reappraisal techniques even outside the clinical setting.
At the same time, researchers can learn from the lived experience community by understanding the contexts in which misophonia triggers, reactions, and behaviors play out in real life. For example, folks often report that their misophonia started when they were children or young adolescents, around the kitchen table, when a sibling's or parent's chewing noises started to become intolerable, leading to arguments, avoidance, or other maladaptive behaviors. Understanding the developmental trajectory of misophonia can help researchers identify root causes, mechanisms, and potential interventions.
What Clinicians Can Learn from Researchers, and Vice Versa
The Collaborative Forum also provided opportunities for clinicians to talk with basic researchers about how lab findings might be translated into clinical interventions. Although researchers and clinicians have similar goals in furthering our understanding of misophonia, their approaches and incentives can be very different.
As a researcher, I am most interested in discovering new phenomena, identifying potential mechanisms, and testing them in the lab in highly controlled conditions. Clinicians, on the other hand, are more focused on treating the individual as a whole and developing tailored approaches to encourage long-term improvements in quality of life.
By fostering dialogue between clinicians and researchers, we can learn from each other about what mechanisms are at play and how these mechanisms may manifest in real-life contexts.
How Individuals with Misophonia Can Find Support
While the field of misophonia is still young, there have been remarkable advances in the past five years. One way for the lived experience community to learn more is by reading recent scientific papers. There are ongoing efforts to help the dissemination of these scientific findings by providing easy-to-digest summaries for a broader audience.
Another way for individuals to find support is by engaging directly with researchers as study participants. There are dozens of studies and trials happening across the U.S.. SoQuiet's Research Pool provides a way for people to learn about and potentially enroll in ongoing misophonia studies. The website also includes a growing list of providers who have experience treating folks with misophonia.
Ultimately, individuals who are significantly impacted by misophonia should seek personalized therapy, ideally by a trained clinician with specific experience dealing with misophonia. Some of the clinical approaches that have been used successfully to treat OCD, ADHD, generalized anxiety, and emotion regulation disorders, can be adapted to misophonia.
Awareness about misophonia is increasing at a rapid pace. The next five years are sure to bring a new wealth of information to advance our understanding and make progress treating this condition.
The Forum was hosted by Misophonia Research Fund, along with co-sponsors SoQuiet.org, the Duke Center for Misophonia and Emotion Regulation, and the Knowles Hearing Center.
