The impact of ASMR and misophonia on emotion recognition

Abstract

Introduction:In everyday life, certain sounds can trigger involuntary physiological and emotional responses, leading to sensitivities categorized as misophonia and autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR). These sensory experi- ences elicit subjective emotional reactions and can lead to functional and structural changes in brain regions associat- ed with emotional perception.Aim:This study aims to evaluate the auditory and auditory- visual emotional perception of individuals with ASMR and misophonia, which can also be defined as a difference insensitivity to sound.Material and methods:The ASMR-15 scale and the Misophonia Questionnaire (MQ) were initially administered to identify participants. Forty-eight individuals (mean age: 31,54 ±SD= 7,25) aged 18–45 years, with bilateral type A tym- panograms and pure tone averages better than 20 dB, were included in the study. We then administered the Maudsley Obsessional Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), the Emotional Communication in Hearing Questionnaire (EMO-CHeQ), and auditory and video-based auditory/facial emotion rec- ognition tests to the misophonia, ASMR, and control groups.Results:No significant differences were found between the mis- ophonia, ASMR, and control groups in the auditory and vid- eo-based auditory/facial emotion recognition tests (p> 0.05). Significant differences were observed between the misopho- nia and ASMR groups on the EMO-CHeQ, and between the misophonia and control groups on the MOCI (p< .0.05). Females’ MQ scores were significantly higher than males’, and males outperformed females in identifying the emotion of anger in the video-based auditory/facial emotion recogni- tion test (p< .0.05). A negative correlation was found between increasing age and the recognition of surprised and neutral emotions in the auditory emotion recognition test (p< .0.05).Conclusions:Age and gender may influence voice sensitiv- ity and emotional perception. Consistent with the literature, a positive correlation was observed between the severity of misophonia and the likelihood of a diagnosis of obsessive- compulsive disorder. While there may be differences in the recognition of emotion in speech between individuals with ASMR and misophonia, further research is needed.