Body

background

in a large scale survey study, (Ash et al., 2024) found that increased reports of sensitivity to eating trigger sounds and severity of Misophonia was corelated with reporting the use of mimicry as a coping mechanism.
the authors postulate that spontaneous mimicry (unintentional mimicry) may be the result of underlying hypoconnectivity in sensorimotor areas, specifically drawing a connection to the Kumar model

Trigger sounds in misophonia may disrupt goal-directed behavior and evoke anger due to perceived social interference, as shown in Stroop task impairments. Overt mimicry of trigger actions, unlike spontaneous mimicry, can serve as a deliberate coping strategy by enabling predictive control over sensory input, thereby reducing distress and restoring a sense of agency.

a key holding of the Kumar motor model is that idea that the Misophonic response is the result of aberrant motor simulation which drives emotional/physiological reactivity via the salience network, essentially making Misophonia the result distressing over-simulation of others’ actions. this could be thought of as spontaneous mimicry

Question

if Misophonia is the result of hyper mirroring (or spontaneous mimicry) , itself the result of hyper connectivity of sensorimotor areas, would the use of intentional mimicry show changes in brain activity related to sensorimotor activation?

hypothesis

if sensorimotor activation plays a role in misophonia, then the use of intentional mimicry when exposed to orifical triggers should produce changes in sensorimotor brain activation