MEG Signatures of Differences in Auditory Cortex Responses to Trigger versus Non-Trigger Sounds in Misophonia

Misophonia is a condition marked by extreme emotional and physical reactions to certain trigger sounds, which can differ from person to person. Despite growing interest and research, the neurological basis of misophonia remains unclear. Researchers utilized magnetoencephalography (MEG) with millisecond precision to study auditory cortex reactions to trigger sounds versus non-trigger sounds in 23 individuals, aged 14 to 32, who exhibited misophonia symptoms as per a screening test.

Their findings revealed that in the right hemisphere, trigger sounds produced smaller evoked responses, reduced power of evoked alpha-band oscillations, and heightened alpha-gamma cross-frequency phase-amplitude coupling, in contrast to non-trigger sounds. Additionally, evoked responses and power levels were linked to the reported severity of misophonia symptoms.

These results suggest that misophonia involves atypical auditory processing in the early stages of the auditory cortex hierarchy. The study offers new perspectives on the neural underpinnings of misophonia and emphasizes the significance of investigating brain activity at the most fundamental levels of the cortical hierarchy, particularly using high-resolution methods.