Foreign accent syndrome
I plan to present some conditions, diseases that are extremely rare but really interesting. Foreign accent syndrome is an unusual neurological speech disorder documented in not more than twenty specific studies. It usually follows a severe brain injury, such as a stroke or a head injury. From the aspect of the condition, the most important area is the subcortical region.
It is characterised by the appearance of what is perceived to be a foreign accent in the language of the patient. As the Wikipedia article says:
The syndrome causes people to speak their native language as if they had a foreign accent; for example, an American native speaker might speak with a French-sounding accent… Certain parts of the brain control various linguistic functions, and damage could result in altered pitch or mispronounced syllables, causing the speech to sound accented. The change in speech is not the result of people suffering from the syndrome adopting or imitating any accent; this is merely the perception of people who hear the sufferer speak.
A study pointed out that like aphasia, foreign accent syndrome can occur in Multiple sclerosis as a manifestation of a cortical language disorder. Anyway, as subject cannot avoid this foreign accent, and given its abrupt emergence, this disorder usually involves emotional consequences by loss of identity and of belonging to a speech community.
References:
- A case of foreign accent syndrome, with follow-up clinical, neuropsychological and phonetic descriptions.
- Foreign language syndrome as a first sign of multiple sclerosis
- A rare neurologically originated speech disorder: foreign accent syndrome
Sounds like an excellent exuse to blame for my Hunglish accent!
Let’s try this pick-up line
- Hello baby, due to a slight damage in my subcortical region I have this pretty rare foreign accent syndrome, but I assure you it is not contageous. Mine or yours?
I am a bit confused as to the naming: LAS and FLA are often used as more or less the same, whereas I always had thought that FLS is the sudden speaking of a different language of which the patient has no working knowledge or no knowledge at all. Can anyone give some clarification on this point?
Dear Editor
I am a General surgeon from India now a PR of Canada and want to present my views (Hypothesis) about this syndrome.
According to me as all the languages have been developed by man himself so at birth the child possesses frame work for all the languages in his brain. This framework is present in the brain in a specific area.It is in the form of a computer file. During the development of child he/she develops the languages which are being used in his vicinity that is the languages which are used near to the child by his parents,guardians and friends.
So some of the areas from that language file become active (A) while the other part of the file containing languages other than those being used near to child become suppressed(S). This is very similar to use and disuse of the organs theory but in this case the suppressed languages do not disappear as some of the non used organs they had disappeared.
During the phase of stroke sometimes the language area is affected and the person is unable to speak while during recovery when the language area recovers the language again is formed.
Mostly during recovery phase the active part of files (A) recover BUT sometimes if the (A) active part do not recovers the function of LANGUAGE is taken over by any of the languages present in the (S) suppressed part.
In this way the person can develop any other language from his suppressed (S) parts of the file which can be any language different than that he has used earlier. So a Canadian can use German/Spanish or any other language of the world which is present in his (S) suppressed portion of language file. But this function is only taken over by (S) suppressed part when (A) active part of language file is unable to recover.
Same is the case sometimes when the person after stroke uses different accent of the same language.
I wish if this hypothesis can be put forward.
Thanks
Sincerely
Bipan Sumbria.
I am a Mexican 47 years old woman. On February 2008, I was through an ischemical cerebral stroke. Since this date I had two little more of these brain events and when I started to speak again everybody tells me that I speak Spanish with a strong French accent. I alredy read all the articles related with, but none tells me if some day I will be completely recovered ? Or this FAS will be with me forever? . Neurologist in Mexico told that “maybe” within some time I will be fine. Some one of you can tell me if there is any medication and/or therapy that it could help? Thanks in advance.
Hello, I’m an East Tennesse native who after a July 23rd car wreck now I sound Austrian and less Reba McEntire/Dolly Parton like I use to speak. I too feel this is a file pulled up to replace my old language skills. I’m headed to another hospital in Nashville to get another MRI to check for more specific brain damage to officially declare Foriegn Language Syndrome as the cause. No one has said there is a way to fix it. I had it explained that I may just simply switch back some day. I do know that if I walk right foot crossed over left foot several times in a row the accent gets worse. I believe this part of FAS. I have given up the idea of ‘switching back’ to the old language. I got ever so angry expecting to wake up sounding like what my mind tells me I should yet I talk and it remains the same Austrian/English accent. Besides everyone tells me the blend of English/Austrian wrought with hillybilly is worth listening to all day. Now I focus on making the new dialect a smoother transition even if I have to listen to the internet radio to work out the rough edges so folks will quit teling me to sharpen my language skills to sound more polished. It is as if I’m suppose to speak proper British/Austrian.Isn’t it funny how part of the file must have been rewritten to blend with my American accent. I wonder if the Queen of England is willing to help.
January 7/2009
I am a female who speaks three languages. On Dec. 19th/2008 I took a supplement and after 15 minutes or so I felt very weak, then suddenly I started speaking gibbrish in what can descibe as Italian Swedish accent. It lasted the whole day. I went to sleep when I woke up in the morning I was fine. By lunch time I started again and I could not stop talking I was taken to the hospital but suddenly I went back to speaking english but in a heavy french accent. I now speak my native language like a foreigner and I can’t say all the words.
I have a pacemaker so I cannot have an MRI.
It has been three weeks and I am still speaking with a french accent.
I am seeking some answers. I hope someone out there can help. Thank u
Update on myself. I’m seeing a Speech Thaerapist to smooth out the stuttering and accent. I was told it is most likely permanent. I would suggest to anyone that if your doctor won’t refer you out to a neurologist the try an ENT. My referral started with a hearing checkup due to noises in my ear caused by the accident back in August of 2008. The doctor checked hearing and noticed the accent.He asked about it. I explained it started after the wreck. The ENT refrerred me to one neurologist then that doctor referred me to another at Vandy. I also find that listening to radio/t.v. programs in my accent help me find words that are easier to say since words like draft are impossible now. I’m not sure the docs are thrilled about my self-taught adventure, but hey us southern gals love to talk and where would I be if I didn’t try something. Also I was shaken in the car and the MRI didn’t show significant damage at all so who knows that not getting an MRI changes something or not. Talk to your doc again. Hang in there too. Be prepared to adjust to this new self. Who knows maybe we can be hired out for voice overs.I was also told I’m otherwise healthy except for my cholesterol so ask yourself—How do I live the next few decades with Foreign Accent syndrome? Oh and for an up on this if folks think the UPS guys are hot and the UPS guys think the accent is hot then hey score 1 for us. Folks just aren’t going to get what’s going on with you,you may even have some make fun of you and ask you hey say this word. The attitude to adopt here may very well be, ” Sure I’ll say that word,but you need to buy a ticket first.” Be your own cheerleader.
Well everyone I talk to including the speech therapist who unfortunately could not help me love the accent and they r mad why I want to going back to my old accent. So that is good. the only problem is like u said have difficulty with some of the letters and I have to speak slow and repeat myself when I am talking to some people. I am getting used to my accent but I want to know what caused it. I cannot have an MRI because of the pace maker. It could be worse. I wish u well and let us be each others cheerleader.
Please give the use & disuse
I am a 57 year old woman who has foreign language syndrome accompanying my hemiplegic migraine attacks. During an attack, I sound like I am speaking English with some type of European accent. When the hemiplegia subsides, my normal Virginia US accent returns. I have had migraines most of my life and hemiplegic migraines most of my adult life, but the strange speech pattern only began ten years ago. I have seen 5 neurologists who are all baffled. I wonder if the FLS is connected to the calcium channel blocker I’ve been taking for a little over a decade to lower my blood pressure (elevated blood pressure is a major trigger of the migraines). Whether or not the medication cause the FLS, it is the only thing that keeps me from suffering intense pain and uncontrollable nausea and vomiting, so I’ll keep taking it until a cure is found.