Misophonia in Children and Adolescents: Age Differences, Risk Factors, Psychiatric and Psychological Correlates. A Pilot Study with Mothers' Involvement.

Misophonia is a type of disorder characterized by decreased sound tolerance. While it typically begins in childhood, research on its characteristics in this population is limited. We assessed 90 children aged 7-18 with and without misophonia, along with their mothers, using interviews, questionnaires, and performance-based tests. Younger children with misophonia were more likely to use aggression in response to triggers than older, while adolescents largely reported self-harm during triggers. Children with misophonia did not differ from their peers in terms of ADHD, ODD, ASD, dyslexia, social and emotional competencies, head injuries, epilepsy, tinnitus, being prematurely born, or delivered via cesarean sections. However, they had significantly higher symptoms of anxiety and depression, more frequent occurrences of OCD, migraines, and psychosomatic complaints. Their mothers self-reported postpartum depression significantly more frequently than mothers in the control group. There is a need for further research on pediatric misophonia, with the involvement and assessment of parents.

It is Not (Always) the Mismatch That Beats You-On the Relationship Between Interaction of Early and Recent Life Stress and Emotion Regulation, an fMRI Study.

Stress may impact the ability to effectively regulate emotions. To study the impact of stressful experiences in early and recent life on emotion regulation, we examined the relationship between early life stress, recent stress, and brain activation during cognitive reappraisal. We investigated two regulation goals: the decrease and increase of emotional response to both negative and positive stimuli. Furthermore, two models of stress consequences were examined: the cumulative and match/mismatch models. A total of 83 participants (Mage = 21.66) took part in the study. There was an interaction between cumulative stress and stimuli valence in the cuneus, superior lateral occipital cortex, superior parietal lobule, supramarginal gyrus extending to superior temporal gyrus, and precentral gyrus extending to supplementary motor area. Interaction between mismatched stress index and stimuli valence was found in the left hippocampus, left insula extending to the orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala, and in a cluster including the anterior cingulate cortex, superior frontal gyrus, and frontal pole. Furthermore, there were differences between the effects of cumulative and mismatched stress indices on brain activation during reappraisal of positive but not negative stimuli. Results indicate that cumulative stress and match/mismatch approaches are both useful for explaining brain activation during reappraisal. This finding is important for our understanding of the multifaceted impact of stress on emotion regulation.

Childhood Gender Nonconformity and Recalled Perceived Parental and Peer Acceptance Thereof, Internalized Homophobia, and Psychological Well-Being Outcomes in Heterosexual and Gay Men from Poland.

The link between gender nonconformity and psychopathology may be due in part to negative childhood experiences resulting from other people's reactions to gender nonconformity. The aim of this study was to test whether recalled perceived levels of parental and peer acceptance of childhood gender nonconforming behaviors and play mediate the relationship of childhood gender nonconformity with depression and social anxiety in adulthood. We also tested whether this relationship was moderated by sexual orientation and, among gay men, whether internalized homophobia was an additional mediator. All variables were measured in a large sample of male participants using self-report (n = 449 gay men, age: M = 27.8 years, SD = 6.69; and n = 296 heterosexual men, age: M = 27.4 years, SD = 6.57) in Poland. Gay men reported more childhood gender nonconformity than heterosexual men. The relationship between gender nonconformity and depressive symptoms as well as social anxiety symptoms was significant in both gay and heterosexual men. Among gay men, this relationship was partially mediated by peer but not parental acceptance of the measured aspects of gender nonconformity and internalized homophobia. Among heterosexual men, recalled perceived parental acceptance of gender nonconformity partially mediated the relationship between gender nonconformity and depressive and social anxiety symptoms. Our findings were partially in line with those found in Western European and North American samples. Although the two groups differed in their recalled perceived gender nonconformity, they did not differ in their depression or social anxiety scores. Nevertheless, childhood gender nonconformity may be an indirect risk associated with mental health symptoms, irrespective of sexual orientation. Its higher prevalence among nonheterosexual individuals makes it a particular risk for this group.

The relationship between early and recent life stress and emotional expression processing: A functional connectivity study.

The aim of this study was to characterize neural activation during the processing of negative facial expressions in a non-clinical group of individuals characterized by two factors: the levels of stress experienced in early life and in adulthood. Two models of stress consequences were investigated: the match/mismatch and cumulative stress models. The match/mismatch model assumes that early adversities may promote optimal coping with similar events in the future through fostering the development of coping strategies. The cumulative stress model assumes that effects of stress are additive, regardless of the timing of the stressors. Previous studies suggested that stress can have both cumulative and match/mismatch effects on brain structure and functioning and, consequently, we hypothesized that effects on brain circuitry would be found for both models. We anticipated effects on the neural circuitry of structures engaged in face perception and emotional processing. Hence, the amygdala, fusiform face area, occipital face area, and posterior superior temporal sulcus were selected as seeds for seed-based functional connectivity analyses. The interaction between early and recent stress was related to alterations during the processing of emotional expressions mainly in to the cerebellum, middle temporal gyrus, and supramarginal gyrus. For cumulative stress levels, such alterations were observed in functional connectivity to the middle temporal gyrus, lateral occipital cortex, precuneus, precentral and postcentral gyri, anterior and posterior cingulate gyri, and Heschl's gyrus. This study adds to the growing body of literature suggesting that both the cumulative and the match/mismatch hypotheses are useful in explaining the effects of stress.

The ADH gene cluster SNP rs1789891 and temperamental dimensions in patients with alcohol dependence and affective disorders.

This study had three objectives: (1) to assess the relationship between the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1789891 in the alcohol dehydrogenase gene cluster and alcohol dependence and affective disorders; (2) to assess the differences in the Regulative Theory of Temperament (RTT) traits between an alcohol dependent group, an affective disorders group, and a healthy group; and (3) to assess the relationship between rs1789891 and temperament traits in a healthy group, taking into account the interaction of genotype and sex. The SNP rs1789891 was genotyped in a group of 194 alcohol dependent men, aged 21 to 71 years; 137 patients with affective disorders, including 51 males and 86 females, aged 19 to 85 years; and a group of 207 healthy individuals, including 89 males and 118 females, aged 18 to 71 years. Temperament traits (briskness, perseveration, sensory sensitivity, emotional reactivity, endurance, and activity) were assessed in all groups using the Formal Characteristics of Behaviour-Temperament Inventory. The comparative analysis of genotypic frequencies showed no significant differences between patients with alcoholism or affective disorders and those in the control group. Alcohol dependent men and the affective disorder group were characterised by higher levels of emotional reactivity (p-value 1.4e-5 and 9.84e-7, respectively) and lower levels of briskness, sensory sensitivity, endurance, and activity (p-value from 3.76e-8 to 0.012) when compared to the healthy group. The rs1789891 polymorphism was associated with briskness (p = 0.02), sensory sensitivity (p = 0.036), and activity (p = 0.049). None of the results were statistically significant after Bonferroni correction.

Temperament as a risk factor for obesity and affective disorders in obese patients in a Polish sample.

AIMS: The main purpose of the study was to investigate temperament traits postulated in the Regulative Theory of Temperament that may contribute as risk factors to obesity and, potentially, to affective disorders in obese patients. METHOD: A cross-sectional design was applied in this study. The study was conducted on a group of 163 obese patients (BMI > 35) that included 59 men and 104 women compared with a control group that included 89 men and 113 women who were non-obese. Temperament was assessed using the formal characteristics of behaviour-temperament inventory (FCB-TI). RESULTS: Obese patients compared with a control group scored lower in briskness, endurance and activity, and higher in perseveration. When compared with obese men, obese women had higher levels of perseveration and emotional reactivity, and showed lower levels of activity. CONCLUSIONS: Temperament traits, including low levels of briskness, endurance and activity, may serve as risk factors for the development of obesity. Low levels of these traits with accompanying high levels of perseveration may potentially contribute as risk factors for affective disorders in obese patients. The findings suggest that obese women are at somewhat greater risk than obese men for the development of affective disorders.

From twins to genetic polymorphisms: behavioral genetic research in Poland.

Behavioral genetic research has been conducted at the University of Warsaw for the past 20 years. The work done at the University focuses primarily on the origins of individual differences in temperament and other personality traits. In particular, research is directed toward the traits postulated in the Regulative Theory of Temperament. We also focused on the heritability of socio-political attitudes, risk factors for human health, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The majority of the research that has been carried out is grounded in twin and family studies, although recent work based on molecular techniques has also been developed. This article reviews the most important directions and findings of behavioral genetics research at the University of Warsaw.

Beyond sound irritation: cross-cultural evidence on the robustness of the five aspects of misophonic experience measured by the S-Five in a Polish sample.

Misophonia is commonly associated with negative emotional or physiological responses to specific sounds. However, the consensus definition emphasizes that misophonia entails much more than that. Even in cases of subclinical misophonia, where individuals do not meet the disorder criteria, the experience can still be burdensome, despite not currently causing significant distress or impairment. The S-Five is a psychometric tool for comprehensive assessment of five aspects of misophonic experience: internalizing, externalizing, impact, threat, and outburst, and includes S-Five-T section to evaluate feelings evoked by triggering sounds and their intensity. We examined whether the five-factor structure developed in the UK could be replicated in a Polish sample, including individuals with and without self-identified misophonia. The Polish version of the S-Five was translated and tested on 288 Polish-speaking individuals. Comprehensive psychometric evaluation, including factor structure, measurement invariance, test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and concurrent validity evaluations, was conducted on the translated scale. Exploratory factor analysis suggested similar structure to the original English study, while bootstrap exploratory graph analysis showed the factor structure to be reproducible in other samples. The scale was found to be bias free with respect to gender, internally consistent and stable in time, and evidence of validity was provided using MisoQuest and Misophonia Questionnaire. These results offer support for the cross-cultural stability of the five factors and provide preliminary evidence for the suitability of the Polish version for clinical and research purposes. The study also investigated five facets of misophonia, triggering sounds, emotional responses, and their associations with symptoms of psychopathology across various cultures. It underscores the central role of anger, distress, and panic, while also highlighting the mixed role of irritation and disgust in misophonia across different cultural contexts. Mouth sounds evoked the most pronounced reactions compared to other repetitive sounds, although there were discernible cultural differences in the nature and intensity of reactions to various trigger sounds. These findings hold significant implications for future research and underscore the importance of considering cultural nuances in both research and the clinical management of misophonia.

[Family-based association study of dopaminergic genes polymorphisms and EAS temperamental traits]. / Polimorfizmy w genach systemu dopaminergicznego a cechy temperamentu EAS - rodzinne badanie asocjacyjne.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to identify relations between several polymorphisms in dopamine genes (DRD2, DRD3, DRD4, SNAP-25, ANKKland DATI) and temperamental traits distinguished in the EAS theory. In this study the family-based method was used. METHOD: The study was run on 149 biological families with one or two children aged 3-12. Temperamental data were obtained using Buss and Plomin EAS-C Temperament Questionnaire. RESULTS: Significant associations between two SNPs in the SNAP-25 gene (rs363039 and rs363050) and shyness was found. Significant relationships of this trait with haplotypes in DAT1 and SNAP-25 genes was also identified. CONCLUSION: The data collected suggest that variability in dopamine genes may have impact on the development of temperamental shyness, which is recognized as a fear of strangers.

Association between temperament in terms of the Regulative Theory of Temperament and DRD4 and DAT1 gene polymorphisms.

OBJECTIVES: This is a study of the association between DRD4 exon III VNTR and DAT1 3'-untranslated region polymorphisms on the one hand and temperament assessed with the Formal Characteristics of Behaviour-Temperament Inventory on the other hand. METHODS: The study was run on 418 participants (314 women and 104 men) aged 18 to 55 years sampled from healthy male and female volunteers recruited from inhabitants of the Warsaw metropolis. RESULTS: Main effects of sex were found for briskness (F(1,417) = 9.05, P = .003, η(2) = 0.022), perseveration (F(1,417) = 37.83, P < .001, η(2) = 0.085), sensory sensitivity (F(1,417) = 14.16, P < .001, η(2) = 0.003), and emotional reactivity (F(1,417) = 34.67, P < .001, η(2) = 0.078). A significant main effect of DAT1 variant was also found for sensory sensitivity (F(1,417) = 7.36, P = .007, η(2) = 0.018). No main effects of DRD4 on any of the analyzed temperament traits were found. A significant interaction of sex and DRD4 variant was found for sensory sensitivity (F(1,417) = 5.68, P = .018, η(2) = 0.014). No significant 3-way interactions (DAT1 × DRD4 × sex) were found. CONCLUSIONS: A significant main effect of DAT1 polymorphism on sensory sensitivity and a significant interactive sex/DRD4 effect on that same trait were found.

New data on the validity of the Fazio Laterality Inventory.

The Fazio Laterality Inventory (FLI) is a recent measure of handedness. Although initially validated, there is still a lack of studies assessing its psychometric properties in samples outside the USA. The present study explores the validity of the Polish adaptation of the FLI. We used data gathered from a convenience sample of 727 participants. They completed the FLI and the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory to establish concurrent validity. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to investigate the factor structure of the FLI. In addition, an Item Response Theory (IRT) model for continuous item scores was also used to identify the discrimination and difficulty parameters of the FLI items. The Polish version of the FLI was characterized by good reliability indices and has high concurrent validity with the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. We identified a bi-factorial structure for the questionnaire. The IRT analyses showed that the FLI items have good discrimination and difficulty parameters. Our study provides new insights into the properties of the Fazio Laterality Inventory.

Brain activation during cognitive reappraisal depending on regulation goals and stimulus valence.

Neural bases of cognitive reappraisal may depend on the direction of regulation (up- or downregulation) and stimulus valence (positive or negative). This study aimed to examine this using a cognitive reappraisal task and conjunction analysis on a relatively large sample of 83 individuals. We identified regions in which activations were common for all these types of emotion regulation. We also investigated differences in brain activation between the 'decrease' and 'increase' emotional response conditions, and between the regulation of negative and positive emotions. The common activation across conditions involved mainly the prefrontal and temporal regions. Decreasing emotions was associated with stronger involvement of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, while increasing with activation of the amygdala and hippocampus. Regulation of negative emotions involved stronger activation of the lateral occipital cortex, while regulation of positive emotions involved stronger activation of the anterior cingulate cortex extending to the medial prefrontal cortex. This study adds to previous findings, not only by doing a conjunction analysis on both emotional valences and regulation goals, but also doing this in a bigger sample size. Results suggest that reappraisal is not a uniform process and may have different neural bases depending on regulation goals and stimulus valence.

Does context matter in misophonia? A multi-method experimental investigation.

Introduction: Misophonia is a recently defined disorder in which certain aversive repetitive sounds and associated stimuli elicit distressing and impairing affective, behavioral, and physiological responses. The responses in misophonia may be stronger when the sound is produced by close friends and family, suggesting that the context in which a triggering cue occurs may have an important role in misophonia. As such, the goal of this study was to test experimentally whether the context of the sound source influences affective and psychophysiological responses to triggering stimuli in misophonia. Methods: Sixty one adults with misophonia and 45 controls listened to audio recordings (8 s) of human eating, animals eating, and human mouth smacking sounds (without eating). After a break, the same audio recordings were presented embedded within videos of human eating (congruent stimuli), animals eating (congruent stimuli), and, in the mouth smacking condition, with visually incongruent stimuli (hands playing in mud or in a bowl with a watery dough). Psychophysiological responses-skin conductance response (SCR) and heart rate (HR), and self-reported affective responses (valence, arousal, dominance) were gathered during the experiment in a laboratory. Results: Participants with misophonia assessed all the stimuli as more negative and arousing than the controls, and reported feeling less dominant with respect to the sounds. Animal and mouth smacking sounds were assessed by all the participants as less negative and arousing than human eating sounds, but only in the audio-video conditions. SCR data partially confirmed increased psychophysiological arousal in misophonia participants during an exposure to mouth sounds, but did not reflect the self-report changes in response to different contexts. Misophonia participants had deeper deceleration of HR than controls during human eating sound with congruent video stimuli, while there was no group difference during human mouth smacking with incongruent video stimuli. Conclusion: Results suggest that the context of mouth sounds influences affective experiences in adults with misophonia, but also in participants without misophonia. Presentation of animal eating sounds with congruent visual stimuli, or human mouth smacking sounds with incongruent stimuli, decreased self-report reaction to common misophonic triggers.

[Psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30]. / Wlasciwosci psychometryczne polskiej wersji The Metacognitions Questionnaire-30.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to examine basic psychometric properties as well as to confirm the five-factor structure of the Polish version ofthe Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), a short instrument to measure various aspects of maladaptive metacognitions. METHOD: The sample consisted of 315 individuals (239 females and 76 males). Fourty-five of the participants were examined twice within the test-retest procedure. Among questionnaires used in the study were MCQ-30, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and four subscales chosen from the Neurotic Personality Questionnaire (KON-2006). RESULTS: Cronbach alphas, coefficients ofreliability, reached acceptable values (0.70-0.87). Correlation coefficient (Pearson's r) between two separate administrations ofMCQ-30 was high (0.72). Correlation coefficients between results of the MCQ-30 and results of the STAI and the part of KON-2006 were statistically significant and positive (018-064). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the five-factor structure of the questionnaire (the model was modified, and the method of maximum likelihood along with bootstrap procedure was used; goodness-of-fit indices were e.g. Chi2 [391] = 764.50 with p < 0.001, Chi2/df = 1.95, GFI = 0.858, RMSEA = 0.055). CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study show generally good psychometric properties of the Polish version of the metacognitions questionnaire. Polish version of the MCQ-30 seems to be a measure comparable with the original version.

Development and Psychometric Properties of MisoQuest-A New Self-Report Questionnaire for Misophonia.

Background: Misophonia is a condition related to experiencing psychophysiological sensations when exposed to specific sound triggers. In spite of progress in research on the subject, a fully validated questionnaire assessing misophonia has not been published yet. The goal of this study was to create and validate a new questionnaire to measure misophonia. Methods: MisoQuest is based on the diagnostic criteria proposed by Schröder et al. in 2013, with minor changes implemented by the authors of MisoQuest. A total of 705 participants took part in the study, completing the online questionnaires. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and analyses using the Item Response Theory (IRT) were performed. Internal consistency was evaluated with Cronbach's alpha. Results: The reliability of the MisoQuest was excellent (α = 0.955). The stability at five weeks was strong. There was a significant difference in results between people classified as those with misophonia and those without misophonia. Conclusions: MisoQuest has good psychometric values and can be helpful in the identification of misophonia. A deeper analysis showed that certain triggers might be more specific for people with misophonia. Consideration of violent behavior in response to misophonic triggers as a symptom of misophonia was undermined.

Prevalence of Misophonia and Correlates of Its Symptoms among Inpatients with Depression.

Misophonia is an underexplored condition that significantly decreases the quality of life of those who suffer from it. It has neurological and physiological correlates and is associated with a variety of psychiatric symptoms; however, a growing body of data suggests that it is a discrete disorder. While comorbid diagnoses among people with misophonia have been a matter of research interest for many years there is no data on the frequency of misophonia among people with psychiatric disorders. This could be the next step to reveal additional mechanisms underlying misophonia. Until recently, the use of a variety of non-validated questionnaires and the dominance of internet-based studies have been also a major obstacles to a proper definition of misophonia. A total of 94 inpatients diagnosed with depression were assessed for misophonia with face-to-face interviews as well as with MisoQuest-a validated misophonia questionnaire. The prevalence of misophonia among these patients and the congruence of MisoQuest with face-to-face interviews were evaluated. Additionally, the patients filled in a series of questionnaires that measured a variety of psychiatric symptoms and psychological traits. Anxiety, depression, impulsivity, somatic pain, vegetative symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, gender, and age were analyzed in relation to the severity of symptoms of misophonia. Between 8.5 to 12.76% of inpatients with depression were diagnosed with misophonia (depending on measurement and inclusion criteria). MisoQuest accuracy was equal to 92.55%, sensitivity-66.67% and specificity-96.34%. Severity of misophonia symptoms was positively correlated to the greatest extent with anxiety. Moderate positive correlation was also found between severity of misophonia symptoms and depressive symptoms, intrusions, and somatic pain; a weak positive correlation was found between severity of misophonia and non-planning impulsivity, motor impulsivity, avoidance, and vegetative symptoms. There was no relationship between the severity of misophonia symptoms and attentional impulsivity or the age of participants.

Male sexual orientation, gender nonconformity, and neural activity during mental rotations: an fMRI study.

The cross-sex shift hypothesis predicts that gay men should perform more like heterosexual women on important neurocognitive tasks on which men score higher than women, such as mental rotation. Studies also suggest sex differences exist in the neural correlates of mental rotation. However, no studies have taken sexual orientation into account or considered within-group variation attributable to recalled gender nonconformity (a developmental trait reliably associated with human nonheterosexuality). We quantified the neural correlates of mental rotation by comparing two groups of gay men, gender conforming (n = 23) and gender nonconforming (n = 23), to gender conforming heterosexual men (n = 22) and women (n = 22). We observed a sex difference between heterosexual men and women in the premotor cortex/supplementary motor cortex and left medial superior frontal gyrus. We also observed a sex difference as well as a cross-sex shift in gay men who recalled being gender nonconforming as children in the right superior frontal gyrus, right angular gyrus, right amygdala/parahippocampal gyrus, and bilaterally in the middle temporal gyrus and precuneus. Thus, cross-sex shifts may be associated with underlying developmental factors which are associated with sexual orientation (such as gender nonconformity). The results also suggest that gay men should not be studied as a homogenous group.

Individual and Environmental Predictors of Age of First Intercourse and Number of Children by Age 27.

Reproductive behavior characteristics may be influenced by both social and individual factors. Recent studies have revealed that personality traits might be related to reproductive characteristics in adulthood. Little is known about potential mediators or moderators of relations between personality and reproductive behavior. The present study examines the relation between personality traits measured in early adolescence and the number of children people have by age 27, with an attempt to identify moderation and mediation effects. We used data from the longitudinal cohort (N = 585) collected as a part of the Child Development Project. Personality was measured with the use of Lanthier's Big Five Personality Questionnaire. Results from regression analyses and structural equation models showed that four of the five personality traits (except extraversion) were related to the number of children individuals had by age 27, and these associations were mediated by the age of first intercourse and participants' familial and educational plans. We also identified moderation effects of IQ and SES both on the associations of personality traits with mediators and the number of children by age 27.

Misophonia - a review of research results and theoretical concepts. / Mizofonia ­ przeglad badan i glównych koncepcji teoretycznych.

Misophonia is a new and relatively under-explored condition characterized by experiencing strong emotions (mainly anger and disgust) and a physical response (such as muscle constriction, increased heart rate) when exposed to specific sounds. Among the most frequent aversive triggers are the sounds of eating, breathing, or typing. The experience of misophonia is associated with suffering and a significant decrease in quality of life. The phenomenon was first described in 2002. Since then, numerous case studies and data from psychophysiological and neurological and survey research on this phenomenon have been published. These data indicate that misophonia is a consistent phenomenon and preliminary identification is possible. The most recent results show that misophonia occurs independent of other disorders. There are still, however, many questions regarding the definition and diagnostic criteria to be answered. The most important diagnostic issues that are faced during clinical work with people with misophonia are described in this article. Furthermore, the main theoretical concepts and research on misophonia are reviewed and analyzed.