Mental Health
Misophonia
Misophonia is a little-known but disruptive sensory disorder that triggers intense emotional and physical responses—such as rage, anxiety, or disgust—to everyday sounds like chewing or tapping. These reactions can severely impact daily life, straining relationships, isolating individuals, and interfering with learning or work. Though first named in the early 2000s, misophonia remains excluded from most medical texts and unrecognized by insurers, leaving many without access to care.
Despite affecting an estimated 5 percent of people, misophonia remains invisible across science, medicine, and public discourse. SPARC is helping change that by catalyzing philanthropic investment to fund research, raise awareness, and drive coordination across relevant fields. Through partnerships with donors, we’ve supported early research, consensus building, and advocacy to grow a more connected field—and equip those affected with the tools and knowledge to improve care and quality of life.
Our Work
Misophonia Research Fund (MRF)
Motivated by lived experience, the REAM Foundation partnered with SPARC to catalyze misophonia research—assessing scientific gaps; launching the MRF; and deploying over $12 million to support foundational studies, diagnostics, and clinical tools. This long-term collaboration has brought visibility and research momentum to an overlooked condition, laying the groundwork for lasting progress.
Misophonia Consensus and Community Building
Despite its profound impact, misophonia remains under-recognized, with limited research, no standardized diagnostics, and few evidence-based treatments. From 2019 to 2024, SPARC partnered with the Misophonia Research Fund to address these gaps—advancing scientific understanding; building a shared definition; and fostering awareness, collaboration, and clinical progress.
SPARC played a pivotal role in developing and disseminating the first consensus definition of misophonia, published in 2022. This definition helped unify the field and guide research and clinical progress. Building on this foundation, SPARC has also led efforts to raise awareness, engage clinicians, and connect individuals and families with emerging science and care through publications and community events.
Misophonia Giving Smarter Guide
To advance understanding and accelerate progress in misophonia, SPARC published a Giving Smarter Guide in 2019 that mapped the research landscape and outlined strategic opportunities for philanthropic investment. The guide highlighted the need for cross-disciplinary collaboration, better data sharing, and targeted funding in areas such as basic science, diagnostic development, clinical trials, and mentorship-driven research.
