Misophonia: an imaging study on the neurobiology and the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy

Rationale: Misophonia is a currently underrecognized and uninvestigated
condition in which specific sounds, commonly produced by human beings, trigger
impulsive aggressiveness in apparently normal people. The intensity of the
anger initiates a profound feeling of loss of self-control which causes
significant avoidant behaviour that result in limited social contacts and
functioning.
Recently, diagnostic criteria have been formulated by Schröder and Denys to
distinguish it as a separate psychiatric disorder. Subsequently, a pilot group
therapy consisting of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and psychomotor
therapy (PMT), has been treated in the AMC, which resulted in significant
symptom reduction in the majority of the patients.

The objective for this study is threefold. The first goal is to objectify
differences in brain function between patients and normal controls. The second
objective is to support preliminary findings that the combination of CBT/PMT is
an effective treatment for misophonia. In addition, we will determine the
effects of CBT/PMT on functional activation of the brain in misophonia
patients.The final goal is to determine the genetic and epigenetic factors
involved in misophonia and its treatment.

Study design: an open-label case-control study.

Patients:
- 10 weeks in a row, weekly CBT sessions. Daily homework assignments.
- before, after 5 weeks and after finishing therapy: psychiatric questionnaires
- bloodsamples will be taken before and after CBT treatment

Both patients and controls:
- Before and after treatment: two days of imaging (MRI and EEG)