Beyond Comorbidity: Exploring the Overlap between Misophonic Symptoms and Autistic Traits using Latent Profile Analysis

Background Misophonia involves negative emotional responses to specific sounds, such as chewing and breathing. Although clinically significant, misophonia is not included in diagnostic manuals, and its relationship to established disorders remains unclear. Prior work suggests overlap with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially in sensory processing, but findings have been mixed. Methods Undergraduate students (N = 155) completed self-report surveys on misophonia (MisoQuest), autistic traits (Autism Spectrum Quotient), and sensory processing (Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile). Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified subgroups, with k-means clustering as a sensitivity check. Profiles were compared on social competence, alexithymia, ADHD symptoms, and repetitive behaviours. Results A three-profile model provided the best fit. Isolated misophonia or ASD profiles did not appear; instead, traits aligned along a continuum with profiles reflecting low, moderate, and high levels of neurodiversity expression. A Neurodiversity Index, which quantified this continuum, showed strong associations with functional outcomes, including emotional functioning, social functioning, attention-deficit symptoms, and repetitive behaviours. Greater neurodivergence was linked to more impairment. Conclusion Findings suggest misophonia and autistic traits may co-occur along a shared continuum associated with functional difficulties. While this is consistent with dimensional, transdiagnostic perspectives of neurodevelopmental disorders, further work in broader samples is needed to clarify generalizability.