Inquiry Question: How does the brain relate to hearing and why do certain sounds make our skin “crawl”?
Round 2 Research: Why do certain sounds make our skin “crawl?”
*Since this research question is very similar to the previous round, I will conclude my round 1 & 2 research and extend this round of research to more areas like how the “skin crawling” feeling caused by sounds can be related to Misophonia, the fact that this condition is not an official diagnosis and its effects in the world, the world’s current view on this topic, and more case studies.
- The ear detects and delivers the sound information; the brain interprets these sounds and give them meaning (Discover Hearing, n.d.).
- The brain’s role (Discover Hearing, n.d.):
- The auditory cortex in the brain recognizes the electric impulses sent by the ears and transform them into meaningful sounds.
- The auditory cortex also processes the volume of sounds and determine where they are coming from.
- The brain filters different sounds around us and allows us to focus on the sound we want to listen to.
- In a room full of people, we can hear the television.
- The brain also allows us to increase the volume of our own voice when we are in a loud room and reduce the loudness when we are speaking in a library.
- The thalamus in the brain determines if sounds signal the presence of a threat.
- Fire alarm, screaming, loud bang
- These sounds may trigger an emotional and instinctive response.
- Facial expressions and hand gestures are processed by the prefrontal cortex in the brain to add context and provide a deeper understanding of sounds.
- The brainstem of the brain determines where a sound is coming from. It considers (Gallun & Saunders, 2018):
- Which ear received the louder sound
- Which ear the sound arrived first.
- The brain makes a mental picture of the surrounding based off the above two reasons.
- Sound from ear to brain (BrainFacts/SfN, 2012):
- The external ear – the pinna and the external auditory canal – collects sound waves.
- These sound waves are funneled to the tympanic membrane (eardrum) to make it vibrate.
- The malleus (hammer) sends the vibration to the incus (anvil)
- The stapes (stirrup) receives the vibration from the incus.
- Mechanical vibrations are converted to electrical signals by hair cells.
- Auditory nerves carry the signals to the brain step.
- Information is sent to the auditory cortex by nerve fibers. Sounds are to be perceived here.
- The amygdala adjusts the response of the auditory cortex when we hear an unpleasant noise (Pedersen, 2012).
- Heightens activity and triggers a negative emotion reaction.
- Amygdala: processes emotions; auditory cortex: processes sound
- The amygdala, the emotional part of the brain, controls the activity of the auditory part of the brain, which makes us more sensitive to unpleasant noises than soothing noises like a babbling brook (Petersen, 2012).
- Sounds in the frequency range of approximately 2000-5000Hz is perceived as unpleasant (Petersen, 2012).
- Our strong dislike and triggering feeling for certain sounds might be due to that we are remembering the image, or imagining the feeling (Green, 2016).
- Only one study. Possible that results would be different in other species.
- Misophonia, aka selective sound sensitivity syndrome: a strong dislike or hatred of specific sounds (WebMD Editorial Contributors, 2020).
- Emotional or physiological responses are triggered by sounds unreasonably given the circumstance.
- Reaction can range from anger, annoyance, panic, and the need to flee.
- There is a different between having a “skin crawling” sensation due to a sound and misophonia.
- Triggering noises with misophonia can be eating, breathing, chewing sounds (WebMD Editorial Contributors, 2020).
- The sounds can also be keyboard or finger tapping, windshield wipers, fidgeting sounds, etc.
- Sounds are often repetitive.
- Misophonia is a poorly understood and under-researched condition (Hayes, 2022).
- The term did not arise to describe the condition until 2000.
- There currently are no established diagnostic criteria for misophonia. The condition is not recognized as an official diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical manual of mental Disorder, Fifth Edition (DSM–5) (Hayes, 2022).
- Researchers are proposing a criterion to characterize misophonia by (for example):
- Anticipating certain sounds to reults in irritation, anger, or disgust.
- Feelings of anger initiating a loss of control.
- Significant distress that interferes with normal daily activities.
- Above feelings are not better explained by another mental disorder or medical condition.
- Researchers are proposing a criterion to characterize misophonia by (for example):
- Though there are no official diagnosis, the doctor may be able to recommend treatment options to help manage the symptoms (Hayes, 2022).
- A study in 2014 investigated the incidence, correlates, and impairments associated with misophonia in a student population (Palumbo, Alsalman, De Ridder, Song, & Vanneste, 2018).
- 8% of 483 undergraduate students, with a mean age of 21.4 years, were often or always sensitive to or annoyed by specific sounds.
- A literature suggests (Palumbo et al., 2018):
- 60% of patients with tinnitus also have misophonia.
- 86% of tinnitus patients have hyperacusis.
- It is hard to differentiate those who have hyperacusis alone, misophonia alone, and both.
- Childhood or adolescence is when misophonia usually begins. It may affect academic performance (Palumbo et al., 2018).
- According to a study in 2015, misophonia may be classified as a subtype of a discrete psychiatric disorder (Palumbo et al., 2018).
- 2% 318 misophonic patients exhibited a psychiatric disorder.
- Some believe psychiatric disorders and misophonia may coexist.
- A 2013 research showed a pattern of intense reactions to specific stimuli avoidance and worry, which matched with traits of other psychiatric disorders like social phobia and phonophobia (Palumbo et al., 2018).
- A study in 2014 (Palumbo et al., 2018):
- One patient found high-pitched voices triggering since the age of six. The sounds causes her to binge eat.
- Second patient found clinking spoon in the bowl and eating sound of cereal disturbing. Cause her to be unable to eat.
- The brain constantly integrates signals. Therefore, an explanation for misophonia’s occurrence is when the disturbing sounds produced in the surrounding provoke an emotional response. This emotional response marks a connection between the auditory system and the brain (Palumbo et al., 2018).
References
BrainFacts/SfN. (2012, April 1). Hearing. BrainFacts.org. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://www.brainfacts.org/thinking-sensing-and-behaving/hearing/2012/hearing
Discover Hearing. (n.d.). What is the brain’s role in hearing? Discover Hearing Centre Edmonton. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://www.discoverhearing.ca/what-is-the-brains-role-in-hearing
Gallun, F., & Saunders, G. (2018, June). PDF. Portland; National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research.
Green, H. [SciShow]. (2016, March 10). Why do some noises make you cringe [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re0PaEEbPVE
Palumbo, D. B., Alsalman, O., De Ridder, D., Song, J. J., & Vanneste, S. (2018). Misophonia and PotentialUnderlying Mechanisms: A Perspective. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 953. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00953
Peterson, D. C., Reddy, V., & Hamel, R. N. (2022, January). Neuroanatomy, Auditory Pathway. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532311/
Hayes, K. (2022, February 18). What is Misophonia? Verywell Mind. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/misophonia-hatred-of-sound-1191958
WebMD Editorial Contributors. (2020, December 13). What is Misophonia? WebMD. Retrieved September 30,2022, from https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-misophonia
