PhD Student Earns Award to Study Why Everyday Sounds Trigger Intense Reactions for Some People

Psychology & Neuroscience Ph.D. student Aliza Ayaz has received a Data Discovery Award from the Misophonia Research Fund (MRF) for her project examining how brain connectivity differs among people with misophonia, emotion dysregulation and affectively healthy adults. Ayaz will receive $45,000 from the MRF, along with an additional $30,000 in co-funding from a third-party donor, bringing her total award to $75,000.

Misophonia is a condition in which everyday sounds such as chewing, breathing or tapping can trigger intense emotional reactions, including anger, anxiety or disgust. These responses can be distressing and may affect relationships, daily activities and quality of life.

Ayaz is a rising third-year clinical psychology Ph.D. student working with associate professors of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Andrada Neacsiu and Moria Smoski. Her project will use diffusion magnetic resonance imaging, or diffusion MRI, to study white matter — the bundles of nerve fibers that connect different areas of the brain and help them communicate.

The study will compare white matter connectivity across three groups: adults with misophonia, adults with emotion dysregulation and affectively healthy adults. Emotion dysregulation refers to difficulty managing intense emotions, such as becoming overwhelmed quickly or having trouble calming down after an emotional reaction.

Comparing the three groups will help Ayaz and her colleagues determine which brain differences are shared by people who experience emotional difficulties generally, which are associated with emotion dysregulation, and which may be unique to misophonia.

The project could provide new insight into why certain sounds produce such powerful reactions for some people. It may also help clarify how misophonia relates to broader emotional difficulties while identifying features that make the condition distinct. In the longer term, this information could support more accurate assessment and inform the development of treatments tailored to people with misophonia.

The award will support Ayaz’s analysis of brain imaging data and contribute to the growing field of misophonia research. Although awareness of the condition has increased, researchers are still working to understand its causes, its relationship to other mental health concerns and the most effective ways to treat it.

“I am excited about the future of misophonia and transdiagnostic emotion dysregulation research,” Ayaz said. “We know misophonia is a highly impairing condition for many, and we are moving toward brain-based evidence to be able to diagnose and treat it with precision.”

The Misophonia Research Fund was launched in 2019 as an initiative of the REAM Foundation. Guided by its Scientific Advisory Board, the MRF supports innovative, interdisciplinary studies designed to advance understanding of misophonia and reduce the suffering it causes.