The BBC reported this week on Kay Russell, an Englishwoman who woke up after a severe migraine and found herself speaking with a French accent (http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2010/09/100915_accent_syndrome_et_sl.shtml).
This rare neurological condition is known to speech & language therapists as Foreign Accent Syndrome. It has been known to occur primarily after a stroke, brain injury or with progressive neurological conditions (e.g. Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease).
Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS) occurs because there has been damage to specific areas of the brain that deal with the production of speech sounds and speech patterns. It is practically unheard of for it to occur after a migraine, as migraines do not generally lead to brain damage.
It is important to note that individuals with FAS do not suddenly wake up speaking a whole new language. They continue to speak their native language, but with a new accent.
The problem is actually with other people’s perception of the ‘accent’. In Kay’s case – migraine or not – a small amount of brain damage to a very specific part of her brain will have altered her speech sounds and speech patterns. It just so happens that these new sounds and patterns are very similar to the sounds and patterns found in French. Kay has not actually woken up speaking with a French accent, she has woken up with aspeech impairment that has altered her ability to produce her normal English speech sounds and patterns. The human brain naturally fills in gaps and integrates new information to make sense of it within context – so listeners who have heard French spoken before will recognise Kay’s new speech sounds/patterns and liken them to French.
For example, native English speakers have no difficulty pronouncing the ‘th’ in ‘the’. However it is well known that native French speakers find it extremely difficult to produce this speech sound, and instead use ‘z’. The damage to Kay’s speech sound system has led to her using ‘z’ instead of ‘th’, so it is no wonder that it sounds like she is French.
Also, her pitch and intonation (her speech patterns) have been affected. English and French differ in rhythm because they stress different syllables and use different types of pitch within a sentence. Again, Kay will have woken up with an impairment to her speech patterns that sound very different to the natural rhythms of English. The human brain likens these sound patterns to those more commonly found in foreign languages.
Kay’s communication difficulty is also worsened by the fact that her ‘migraine’ has also given her aphasia. This is a language impairment that in Kay’s case makes it difficult for her to formulate sentences and find the correct words that she wants to use. This will make conversation even more difficult for her.
These combined communication difficulties have made Kay feel very isolated and she feels like she has lost a large part of her identity. It has affected her confidence, self-esteem and social communication.
The BBC article has provided audio clips of Kay’s native English accent prior to her migraine, and her new ‘French-sounding’ accent. Kay is hoping to raise awareness of the condition to provide her and other individuals with FAS with acknowledgement and respect. She hopes that people will believe that the condition is genuine and will show consideration for others with communication difficulties.
Sarah Bennington – September 2010
Written on behalf of Integrated Treatment Services. ITS is a private Speech and Language Therapy service based in Leicestershire and the East Midlands. It specialises in providing highly-skilled Speech and Language Therapists, but also associates with other therapeutic professionals, including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists and Arts Therapists.
