New Studies Shed Light on Misophonia
Learn about recent studies into misophonia as well as the importance of outreach.
Posted December 21, 2024 | Reviewed by Margaret Foley
I recently interviewed Dr. Zach Rosenthal, Director of the Duke Center for Misophonia and Emotion Regulation (CMER), and Grace Heppes, a misophonia sufferer and Outreach & Education Coordinator for the program. During our conversation, Dr. Rosenthal described some exciting research that's been occurring at Duke this past year and Grace Heppes discussed her interest in misophonia advocacy and her goals for her work.
Jennifer Brout: Dr. Rosenthal, would you give me a brief overview of the latest research you are doing on misophonia?
Dr. Rosenthal: In 2024, we published studies about traumatic stress and misophonia, the treatment of misophonia, and the way to optimize using the Duke Misophonia Questionnaire. We have several ongoing studies we started in 2024 (lived experience studies, e.g.) and others we are continuing to do or about to begin.
JB: What would you say are the take-home messages when looking at these studies?
ZR: In our treatment study, we found that the Unified Protocol, an evidence-based transdiagnostic psychotherapy that we modified for misophonia, is acceptable to patients and helps reduce impairment for many adults.
JB: Would you tell me how you and others are measuring impairment related to misophonia?
ZR: The Duke Misophonia Questionnaire is long, so we wanted to see which parts are the most central. The Impairment scale turned out to be the scale that was most importantly related to the rest of the measure. This means clinicians and researchers could choose to use the Impairment scale if they are limited by time.
JB: And can you tell me about the traumatic stress study?
ZR: In our traumatic stress study, we found that misophonia was more related to experiences of daily stress than it was to symptoms of traumatic stress, PTSD , or lifetime trauma history.
JB: Was this a surprising finding?
ZR: We were a bit surprised that there was a very low rate of PTSD in people with misophonia, and that lifetime trauma history was not a big predictor of misophonia severity compared to everyday stress. This is the only study to directly and carefully start examining this issue, so it will be important to replicate and extend these results in the future.
JB: What is on the agenda for this coming year?
ZR: We expect 2025 to be another big year in misophonia research and advocacy. Our plans include new research beginning to test a semantic sound suppression platform that, if it works, could be used to help people choose which sounds they want to block while hearing everything else.
This would be done using headphones and an app, and we are collaborating with a team led by Dr. Shyam Gollakota at the University of Washington, who already have developed this technology for other kinds of sounds.
JB: I am aware that Duke has also moved into advocacy for misophonia. Would you tell me a bit about that?
ZR: Our vision is a future where all doctors and healthcare providers know about misophonia and can provide patients with the help they need. We are tirelessly partnering with many groups and people around the world to make this vision a reality.
In 2024, as examples, a couple of key things we did include cohosting CARE Day for Misophonia with soquiet.org , partnering with actor Melissa Gilbert ( Little House on the Prairie ) to raise awareness, helping to train 988 suicide hotline support staff across the U.S. about misophonia, and proposing on behalf of a group of advocates to include misophonia in the ICD -11 so that it can be diagnosed worldwide.
JB: This is a great time to turn the interview to Grace Heppes, who is leading this effort. Please tell me a little bit about yourself and how you got involved in misophonia work.
Grace Heppes: My three older siblings and I were raised by our loving parents in Otisville, N.Y. I had a happy and healthy childhood , but around age 13, I began to experience consistent symptoms of misophonia. I struggled immensely throughout my teens, but this pain inspired me to work toward a future where I could help others like me. In May 2024, I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Neuroscience with a minor in Leadership Studies from the University of Rhode Island. A few months later, I began working at CMER, where I am now the Outreach and Education Coordinator. My position is generously funded by the Brown Family and was established to raise awareness of misophonia, especially among healthcare providers.
JB: Tell me more about what you are doing with healthcare organizations.
GH: I help healthcare organizations by educating their members about misophonia. I also collaborate with other research/advocacy groups in the misophonia community to ensure reliable information is presented to the public on popular medical websites and other high-traffic pages. People with misophonia and their loved ones often feel lost when searching for help, so I assist them by providing resources and recommendations.
JB: What are your personal and professional goals related to your role?
GH: I will always have a passion for misophonia advocacy, but I hope to be more directly involved in research or clinical work in the future. While attending the Misophonia Research Fund meeting this year, I was in awe of the advancements being made in the misophonia field through research. I dream of one day presenting my own project, treating a client with misophonia, or both.
JB: Is there anything you have found frustrating in terms of your work?
GH: Reaching out to large organizations can often feel as though I am speaking into a void. Sometimes several attempts are needed to be successful, which can be frustrating, but it has taught me how to be more effective and efficient in my communication. Although it may take a few tries, the outcome is certainly worth the frustration. I am determined to reach as many as possible, no matter how many attempts it may take.
JB: What do you think is the most important next step for you and CMER in terms of advocacy?
Grace: I think it is crucial that we educate family physicians, pediatricians, and primary care physicians on a larger scale. I am also working to include misophonia in continuing medical education (CME) courses provided by organizations for these physicians. We are working toward a future where the physician can recognize these symptoms and say, “Here are the next steps.”
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Jennifer Brout, Psy.D. , who suffers from misophonia, helped found the Sensory Processing and Emotion Regulation Program at Duke University.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.