Misophonia causes strong emotions in response to everyday sounds like chewing or sniffing. The condition often involves feelings of immediate distress or anger. This can be confusing and upsetting for children, adults and their families or friends.

Misophonia can disrupt family meals, school, work, friendships and other parts of daily life. At Yale Child Study Center, associate professor Thomas Fernandez, M.D., works with patients who struggle with misophonia.

Fernandez also studies the genetics of misophonia and other conditions. In a recent interview with the Misophonia Research Fund (MRF), he described current research investigating how misophonia is rooted in the brain.

He also discussed how discoveries about underlying biological mechanisms could ultimately lead to more targeted treatments. Read on for key takeaways from the interview and a follow-up with Fernandez about the research.

What is misophonia? Is it real and rooted in the brain?
Misophonia can cause intense feelings of distress, anger or panic when someone hears chewing, sniffing, tapping or other sounds. "The response can feel immediate and involuntary, and some people avoid shared meals, classrooms, workplaces, or social situations to escape triggers," Fernandez says.

He emphasizes that these feelings are real, even if others are not bothered by the same sounds. Misophonia is brain-based. Understanding this can help reduce blame, conflict at home and misunderstandings at school or with friends.

A growing body of research indicates that misophonia reflects differences in how the brain responds to certain sounds. Studies point to networks involved in sound, emotion and salience, the process in the brain that flags something as especially important.

Researchers are still working to understand exactly how these systems interact and develop. What is clear is that the response is not a matter of willpower or simply being "too sensitive"...