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Misophonia severity predicted by sensory processing style, not psychiatric or demographic factors, and linked to dissociation and affective distress

In a 2026 cross-sectional online survey, Koç Apaydın compared adults with and without misophonia (classfied via scores on the Miso Quest) on sensory processing, dissociation, and affective distress. They found that the misophonia group showed elevated sensory sensitivity, avoidance, and dissociative experiences, with sensory sensitivity most strongly associated with misophonia severity, and that sensory processing styles, but not demographic or psychiatric covariates, significantly predicted misophonia scores in hierarchical regression. From this they concluded that misophonia aligns with a sensory–emotional profile marked by heightened sensory sensitivity and avoidance alongside elevated dissociation and distress, and that theory and treatment should address both sensory processing and emotional regulation jointly (Koç Apaydın et al., 2026).