A 'supersensitized' brain connection may be why you hate the sound of loud chewing, study finds

People who have an extreme reaction to certain noises, specifically loud chewing and breathing, may have a'supersensitized' brain connection, a new study reveals. Scientists at Newcastle University discovered an increased connectivity between the auditory cortex and the motor control areas related to the face, mouth and throat in those suffering with misophonia. Misophonia, which means'hatred of sound', is a condition in which people experience intense and involuntary reactions to certain sounds made by others, referred to as'trigger' sounds. The findings suggest that misophonia is not an abreaction of sounds, but'manifestation of activity in parts of the motor system involved in producing those sounds,' according to the study published in the Journal of Neuroscience. Dr Sukhbinder Kumar, Newcastle University Research Fellow in the Biosciences Institute said: 'Our findings indicate that for people with misophonia there is abnormal communication between the auditory and motor brain regions - you could describe it as a'supersensitized connection'.