Research Information System
7th International Conference on Hyperacusis And Misophonia, Warszawa, Poland, 17 September 2024, vol.14, pp.65-87
Introduction: Misophonia is a condition of showing excessive and negative emotional reactions to certain sounds. People with this condition experience intense emotions such as extreme anger, disgust or anxiety to sounds that are common in everyday life, such as chewing, clicking, breathing, swallowing or clicking a pen. Although it has been reported that misophonia may affect hearing, sleep, concentration and emotional well-being, it has not been determined exactly how hearing skills are affected. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the hearing in noise performance in patients with misophonia. Material and methods: The participants consisted of 8 adult individuals who presented to the Audiology, Balance and Speech Disorders Diagnosis and Rehabilitation Unit of Ibn-i Sina Hospital, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey, with the complaint of misophonia and 8 adult controls. Each participant underwent audiologic evaluation (pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, immitansmetric examination, speech tests) and decreased sound tolerance assessment (scales and questionnaires, loudness discomfort level measurement). Khalfa Hyperacusis Scale (HQ), Misophonia Symptom List (MSL) and loudness discomfort level measurement (LDL) were used together to differentiate decreased sound tolerance. Individuals who were reported to have normal hearing on audiologic evaluation and who were moderately or severely disturbed by at least three sounds on the MSL were included in the misophonia group. The Turkish hearing in noise test (HINT) adaptive, test in noise front condition was administered to all participants in two conditions, with and without the presence of the misophonic stimulus. The HINT test was initiated at 65 dB, whereas the misophonic stimulus was presented at the same level of intensity as in daily life. The signal-to-noise ratio of the two HINT conditions were compared within themselves and with the control group. Results: Hearing in noise performance was worse in the individuals with misophonia compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Hearing in noise performance was better in the presence of a misophonic stimulus than in the absence of a misophonic stimulus. However, this difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Individuals with misophonia may experience hearing in noise problems, especially in the presence of triggering stimuli. Future studies should be planned to evaluate this situation and should be taken into consideration when evaluating the effects of misophonia.