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People with misophonia, defined as a "hatred of sound", can respond with an intense "fight or flight" reaction to "trigger sounds" such as hearing the sounds of people eat or click their pen.
Researchers at Newcastle University discovered a difference in the frontal lobe in misophonia sufferers, suggesting it is a genuine condition. Medical opinion has in the past been sceptical.
The scientists found a difference in the "emotional control mechanism" that causes their brains to go into overdrive on hearing trigger sounds.
Tim Griffiths, Professor of Cognitive Neurology at Newcastle University and UCL, said: "I hope this will reassure sufferers.
"I was part of the sceptical community myself until we saw patients in the clinic and understood how strikingly similar the features are."
Source: The Daily Express
