Extract

Background and study aims Misophonia is a newly defined mental health condition in which hearing specific sounds provoke intense aggression and disgust. Ordinary sounds that people make, such as lip-smacking and breathing, cause patients with misophonia to become suddenly aggressive and feel agitated. This can be so intense that they also often develop time-consuming strategies to avoid hearing these sounds. The suffering and avoidance lead to major social and work-related impairment. Little is known about the underlying causes or mechanisms of misophonia. In addition, there is currently no evidence-based treatment available. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a type of talking therapy which helps people to change the way they think and behave. The aim of this study is to investigate the underlying mechanisms for misophonia in the body and find out whether CBT can be an effective treatment. Who can participate? Adults with misophonia and healthy adults of the same age. What does the study involve? Individuals with misophonia are interviewed and put on a waiting list before treatment. The treatment involves 10 weeks of weekly group therapy which last for four hours per day. Therapy consists of CBT and psychomotor therapy (a type of treatment that uses body awareness and physical activities) techniques. Patients are instructed to practice at home between the treatment sessions. At the start of the study, midway through treatment, after finishing treatment and then 18 weeks after finishing treatment), patients fill out questionnaires to find out if their symptoms and general mental state have changed. In another part of the study, patients from the first part of the study and healthy adults of the same age undergo brain scans on two occasions (at the start of the study and after 10 weeks). This involves having their brain activity measured when completing a range of activities and watching videoclips that are intended to trigger the symptoms of misophonia. Participants also provide blood samples at the start of the study and after 10 weeks in order to assess whether there is a genetic basis for misophonia. What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? Individuals with misophonia benefit from receiving therapy which could help reduce their misophonia symptoms. There is a small risk of pain or bruising when having blood samples taken. Where is the study run from? Academic Medical Center (Netherlands) When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? July 2011 to April 2016 Who is funding the study? Academic Medical Center (Netherlands) Who is the main contact? Mrs Arjan Schroder

Inclusion criteria

• Misophonia

Links

• isrctn