Sound hypersensitivity phenotypes and sound hypersensitivity disorder.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Expert consensus and theoretical framework proposing diagnostic criteria without original empirical data
PubMed 42269959 · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106796
What was done
An international, multidisciplinary working group developed a theoretical framework and proposed operational diagnostic criteria to define sound hypersensitivity and distinguish it from sound hypersensitivity disorder and related conditions like tinnitus.
What was found
The abstract reports no empirical or numerical data. The working group defined sound hypersensitivity across five specific phenotypes—loudness hypersensitivity (hyperacusis), noxacusis, misophonia, phonophobia, and noise-induced cognitive symptoms—and defined sound hypersensitivity disorder as a syndrome characterized by recurrent sound-induced symptoms leading to negative emotional responses, avoidance behaviors, and social or occupational impairment.
Why it matters
This framework establishes a standardized nomenclature to differentiate distinct sound hypersensitivity phenotypes from each other and from tinnitus, providing a common baseline for future clinical and pathophysiological research.
Limits
The publication is an expert consensus proposal and narrative review rather than an empirical study; it provides no primary patient data, epidemiological validation, or prospective testing of the proposed diagnostic criteria.
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